Union Budget: Five regional medical hubs to be set up to boost medical tourism in country
New Delhi (PTI): Giving an impetus to medical tourism, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed launching a scheme to support states in establishing five regional medical hubs in partnership with the private sector.
These hubs will serve as integrated healthcare complexes that combine medical, educational and research facilities, Sitharaman said presenting the budget 2026-27.
They will have AYUSH centres, medical value tourism facilitation centres and infrastructure for diagnostics, post care and rehabilitation, she stated.
These hubs will provide diverse job opportunities for health professionals, including doctors, and allied health professionals, she said.
Emphasising that post Covid, Ayurveda has gained global acceptance and recognition like yoga, Sitharaman also announced setting up of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to strengthen research in the field.
"Ancient Indian yoga, already respected in several parts of the world, was given a mass global recognition when the prime minister took it to the UN," she said.
Exploring quality Ayurveda products helps farmers who grow herbs and youth who process the products, she said.
Besides setting up the three All India Institutes of Ayurveda, upgrading Ayush pharmacies and drug testing labs for higher standards of certification ecosystem has been proposed in the Budget.
She also called for upgrading the WHO Global Traditional Medicine centre in Jamnagar to bolster evidence-based research, training and awareness for traditional medicine.
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Second PUC results: Life convict clears exam with distinction, DGP lauds effort
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Bengaluru: A life convict lodged in Ballari Central Prison has successfully cleared the second PUC examination.
Ashok Kumar S, who appeared for the examination under prison escort, secured 481 marks out of 600, registering 80.1 percent.
Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Alok Kumar (IPS), shared the development on his official ‘X’ handle, commending the inmate’s achievement.
In his post, he stated that it was heartening to see a life convict score over 80 percent in the examination, adding that the inmate had appeared from Ballari Central Prison under escort.
It’s heartening to see that one of our life convict prisoners Ashok has obtained 80.1% marks in PUC exam. He appeared under Prison escort from Ballari Central Prison for his exams.
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) April 9, 2026
Glad to see that Walls of the prison has not subdued his hopes for a better future. pic.twitter.com/Nzlcy076SR
He further noted that the achievement reflected that the “walls of the prison have not subdued his hopes for a better future.”
Alok Kumar in his post also shared the result sheet of Ashok.
The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) declared the second PUC results for 2026 on April 9.
A total of 6,32,200 students appeared for the examination across all streams, of whom 5,46,698 passed, recording an overall pass percentage of 86.48 per cent.
