University Townships: India's Solution to Job Crisis? Big Education Shift Unveiled

• Union Budget 2026-2027 proposes five university townships to integrate education, industry, and startups, aiming to address India's job crisis.
• These townships will foster an ecosystem where learning is applied, curricula are co-designed with industry, and students gain real-world experience.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced skill centers within townships and a new National Institute of Design (NID) in Eastern India.
• The initiative seeks to boost employability, as only 54.8% of India's 1 crore annual graduates are considered employable, with high youth unemployment.
• Townships aim to diversify talent pipelines, reduce corporate dependence on elite institutes, and provide hands-on, grit-based skills for modern work.