Nagpur: Two proposals by Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar featured in CM Devendra Fadnavis’ budget speech on Friday. The initiatives include a tiered science visit programme that will send Maharashtra’s top students to NASA in the US, and a long-pending plan to consolidate all education department offices in Amravati under one roof.Under the Chief Minister’s Vigyan Wari initiative, students who achieve distinction at science exhibitions will be rewarded with visits to progressively prestigious institutions based on their level of achievement. The top 51 students at district-level exhibitions will visit ISRO in Bengaluru, while the top 51 at the state level will be sent to NASA. Bhoyar had proposed the scheme to Fadnavis in June 2025, noting that science exhibitions were not reaching students effectively and that the promise of such visits would increase participation and inspire a scientific outlook.The second proposal approved in the budget is the Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh Educational Complex in Amravati. At present, nine education department offices—including the divisional education deputy director, the state secondary and higher secondary board, the district education and training institute, salary units for primary and secondary staff, and three education officer offices—operate from different locations across the city.Bhoyar highlighted that scattered offices caused poor coordination, inadequate space, and ageing buildings requiring frequent repairs. The new complex will bring all nine offices under one roof and will be named after Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh in recognition of his contribution to education.
