Union Budget 2026: Proposals to Empower Women in Education and Entrepreneurship

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced a set of proposals aimed at strengthening women’s access to higher education and helping self-help group members move up the entrepreneurship ladder. She also proposed plan to build a girls’ hostel in every district and create community-owned “SHE Marts”. While presenting the proposals as part of the Union Budget 2026 , the finance minister stated that the government was looking at several steps in higher education. This will be done by covering new institutes, telescope infrastructure, university townships, and girls’ hostels. “I proposed multiple steps towards setting up new institutes, university townships, girls’ hostels, and telescope infrastructure facilities in the investment in the higher education sector. A girls’ hostel will be built in every district of the country,” she added. Sitharaman raised concerns that long hours of study and laboratory work can create practical constraints for girl students, especially in science and technology streams. “In higher education, STEM institutions, extended hours of study and laboratory work pose some challenges for girl students,” she added. She also mentioned that the proposed hostels would help enhance access to safe accommodation. The initiative will also help in supporting enrollment and retention in advanced streams. ANI also quoted her linking the initiative with efforts to promote astrophysics and astronomy. Along with the education push, Sitharaman also announced “SHE Marts”, a self-help entrepreneur marts designed as community-owned retail outlets, building on the Lakhpati Didi programme. “Self-help groups marts will be set up as community-owned retail outlets within cluster-level federations, supported through enhanced and innovative financing, enabling women to take the next step in entrepreneurship,” she stated, as per a report by ANI. Sitharaman termed this as the “next step” for SHG members towards becoming “owners of enterprises.” An SHG member whose annual household income reaches at least 1 lakh. As per the Ministry of Rural Development, over two crore women have achieved the milestone so far, with a target of three crore by 2027.