Kerala Announces Free Education Till Graduate Level; First In India
In a historic move, making education accessible to all, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has announced free education till the graduate level, a first in India. The announcement was made by Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal in Keral budget 2026 on Thursday.
Kerala LDF Government makes history again. The 2026 budget announces free education till the graduate level, a first in India.#Keralabudget2026 #LDFGovernment #Freeeduaction#newnormal pic.twitter.com/o6BxYr4fWp
— CPI(M) Kerala (@CPIMKerala) January 29, 2026
The move will make degree education in Arts and Science colleges free for students. Until now, free education was available up to the Plus Two (Class 12) level.
The reform will be implemented in government and government-aided colleges. He added that the exact revenue for the decision has not been decided yet.
The budget also mentions the issue of students going abroad or outside the state for higher education and skill training. The government has pegged the estimated annual outflow due to the trend at Rs 8,000 crore.
The budget proposes to establish a ‘Global School’ in Kerala. The institution will focus on modern technologies, vocational education and skill development, with special emphasis on Techno-Economics and Future Technologies.
