Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday announced a hike in the honorarium for Shiksha Mitras and instructors, and outlined major allocations for education infrastructure, digital learning and emerging technologies.
Replying to the discussion on the Budget 2026-27 in the Legislative Assembly, the chief minister asserted that UP has made significant strides in the IT, electronics and startup sectors, and said Shiksha Mitras will receive Rs 18,000 per month and instructors Rs 17,000 from April this year.
“Earlier, Shiksha Mitras were paid Rs 3,000, which was later increased to Rs 10,000. From April 2026, they will receive Rs 18,000. Instructors will get Rs 17,000,” he said, adding that a cashless medical facility up to Rs 5 lakh will also be extended to them and dependent families of teachers and staff.
According to a press statement, announcing a provision of Rs 580 crore for setting up Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas in development blocks where they are not functional, Adityanath said the move will particularly benefit girls from poor, backward and extremely backward sections.
He said Rs 300 crore has been earmarked for maintenance works following school safety audits, Rs 2,382 crore for Chief Minister Composite Schools and Rs 300 crore for establishing smart classes in primary schools.
In secondary education, infrastructure and sports facilities have been strengthened under Project Alankar while additional buildings will be constructed in PM SHRI schools, he said, adding that an allocation of Rs 300 crore has also been made for providing sanitary napkins to girls.
Highlighting developments in higher education, the chief minister said six state universities have secured A++ accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The number of NAAC-accredited institutions has increased from 95 to 158, while institutions featured in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings have risen from 32 to 158.
Patent filings have increased to 5,677, of which around 350 have been granted, he added.
Turning to the IT and electronics sector, Adityanath said 55 per cent of the country’s smartphones are now manufactured in UP and nearly 60 per cent of electronic components are produced in the state.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a semiconductor fab unit in Gautam Buddha Nagar on February 21. The state government is working to attract investments worth Rs 32,196 crore in semiconductor projects, he added.
Software exports from UP have increased from Rs 15,000 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 75,000-80,000 crore at present, he said.
The chief minister said more than 20,000 registered startups are active in the state, nearly half led by women, and UP has been recognised as a “Top Performer” in the National Startup Ranking.
He added that special provisions have been made in the Budget for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, virtual reality (VR) and extended reality, including Rs 100 crore for VR-based skill development and plans to train 25 lakh youth.
Adityanath said an AI Centre of Excellence will be established and U-Hubs (plug-and-play incubation and innovation centres) will be set up in Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar to support startups and entrepreneurs.
“These initiatives reflect the transformation of Uttar Pradesh into a knowledge-driven and technology-enabled economy,” he said.
