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With focus on Yuva Shakti and marching towards the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman proposed setting up of more medical colleges in India, as she presented the Interim Budget 2024-25 in Parliament on Thursday.

Sitharaman said that the new medical colleges will be set up by utilising the existing hospital infrastructure under various departments.

A committee will be set up for this purpose to examine the issues and make relevant recommendations, the Finance Minister added.

She said that this initiative would not only create opportunities for the youth to become doctors but it will also improve healthcare services to the people.

Sitharaman proposed that ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers will also be covered under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.

She said that in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) stream, girls and women make up 43 per cent of the student strength, among the highest in the world.

She also emphasised on the need for research and innovation for catalysing growth, employment and development.

She said, "A corpus of Rs.1 lakh crore to be established with a 50-year interest-free loan to provide long-term financing or refinancing with long tenors and low or nil interest rates.”