Scheme for Buddhist circuit in Northeast India announced in Budget

Guwahati: The Union Budget 2026-27 has proposed to launch a scheme for the development of Buddhist circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Budget’s third kartavya aligns with the vision of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’ towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’. This requires targeted efforts for increasing farmer incomes, empowering Divyangjan, empowering the vulnerable to access mental health and trauma care, focus on the Purvodaya states, and the Northeast region to accelerate development and employment opportunities.

Reaffirming the commitment to mental health and trauma care, she announced the setting up of NIMHANS-2 and also upgradation of National Mental Health Institutes in Ranchi and Tezpur as regional apex institutions.


Sitharaman further proposed the development of an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur, creation of five tourism destinations in the five Purvodaya states, and the provision of 4,000 electric buses.

She also proposed to launch a Scheme for Development of Buddhist Circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. The scheme will cover preservation of temples and monasteries, pilgrimage interpretation centres, connectivity, and pilgrim amenities.