In the recently unveiled budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, the federal government has put forward a substantial funding proposal for both the education and health sectors.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb revealed that Rs 93 billion has been allocated for the education sector, while Rs 27 billion has been set aside for healthcare.
Within the education domain, significant investments are planned across various initiatives. Specifically, Rs 25.75 billion is designated for the Federal Ministry of Education, with an additional development budget of Rs 66.31 billion earmarked for the Higher Education Commission.
The government has pledged to enhance facilities in 166 public schools in Islamabad, ensuring students’ access to modern educational resources.
Moreover, Minister Aurangzeb outlined intentions to provide free meals to students in 200 primary schools in Islamabad. Additionally, an education voucher scheme will be introduced to aid underprivileged students attending private schools.
Expanding the education scholarship program is also on the agenda, with plans to accommodate an additional one million children, bringing the total beneficiaries to 10.4 million.
Turning to healthcare, the budget proposes the construction of the Quaid-e-Azam Health Tower at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. This initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance healthcare infrastructure and improve medical services for the public.
