Haryana Chief Minister Announces Major Higher Education Reforms
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini unveiled two significant initiatives on Monday aimed at transforming higher education across the state. The announcements came during a pre-Budget consultation meeting held in Gurgaon with educationists and women representatives.
New Research Fund and Model Colleges
Saini declared the creation of a substantial Rs 20-crore Haryana State Research Fund. He emphasized that research and innovation form the very core of higher education. "Research and innovation are the essence of higher education," the Chief Minister stated. He explained that this dedicated fund would strengthen academic inquiry and foster knowledge creation within the state's universities and government colleges.
In a parallel move, the government has resolved to upgrade one government college in each of Haryana's 22 districts into a Model Sanskriti College. The goal is to achieve full implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in these institutions by the 2026–27 academic session.
These new Model Sanskriti Colleges will focus on:
- Holistic learning approaches.
- Integration of modern teaching tools.
- Building stronger institutional linkages.
All these elements align directly with the objectives outlined in NEP-2020.
Building on Previous Initiatives
The Chief Minister highlighted the recent launch of the NEEV Portal, an intelligent data-driven system designed to bridge gaps between educational policy formulation and its execution on the ground.
Recalling last year's Budget, Saini noted that the government had allocated Rs 21,893 crore for the education sector. This allocation incorporated 63 suggestions received from various stakeholders. Key initiatives from that budget included:
- Establishing Model Sanskriti Schools.
- Introducing two-shift school operations.
- Setting up STEM laboratories.
- Creating student linkages with premier institutions like ISRO and DRDO.
Continued Focus on Women's Welfare
Saini underlined that women's welfare would remain a top priority in the upcoming Budget. He provided details on previous allocations, noting that Rs 2,101.55 crore was given to the Women and Child Development Department in the last Budget. Nearly half of this amount has already been utilized.
He cited several ongoing schemes benefiting women and children, including:
- The Lado Lakshmi Yojana.
- The expanded Kishori Yojana.
- Construction of women's hostels in six districts.
- Upgradation of 2,000 Anganwadi centres into Saksham Anganwadi Centres.
The Chief Minister assured participants that all meaningful suggestions gathered during the Gurgaon consultation would be carefully considered for inclusion in the 2026–27 Budget. Senior officials from the Education and Women and Child Development departments attended the meeting.
