Haryana budget 2025-26 focuses on research, innovation, and gender inclusivity in higher education: VC, MDU – The Times of India

ROHTAK: The Haryana Government’s Budget for 2025-26 has been praised as a groundbreaking initiative aimed at strengthening the state’s higher education and research ecosystem, positioning Haryana as a hub of innovation, interdisciplinary research, and industry collaboration. Prof. Rajbir Singh, Vice Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), commended the budget’s forward-thinking approach, particularly its unprecedented focus on research and technological advancements.
“The establishment of the Haryana State Research Fund (HSRF), the first of its kind, with an initial allocation of ?20 crores, represents a transformative step in promoting research within higher education institutions,” said Prof. Singh.
“This fund will provide seed grants, project funding, and support for collaborative research initiatives, enabling our universities to compete on a global scale and contribute to knowledge creation across various disciplines.”
Prof. Singh also praised the budget’s progressive vision, particularly its alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emphasizing research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration.
“The government has provided a strong impetus for the development of the education sector, ensuring that the core principles of NEP 2020—quality, inclusivity, and accessibility—are upheld,” he said. “The focus on academia-industry collaboration will foster skill development, making students more adaptable to the evolving job market.”
Moreover, he added, “This approach will ensure that research projects align with real-world challenges and contribute to economic growth.”
A significant structural reform introduced in the budget is the establishment of Model Sanskriti Colleges in each district, modeled after the Government Model Sanskriti Schools. “These institutions aim to provide world-class infrastructure, high-quality faculty, and a student-centric learning environment,” noted Prof. Singh. “This initiative will set a new benchmark in higher education, and if successful, could be expanded to other colleges in the state, broadening the scope of higher education.”
In a move to promote inclusivity and equity, the budget also introduces the ‘Kalpana Chawla Scholarship Scheme,’ which will offer scholarships of up to ?1 lakh per annum to girl students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in science and engineering. This initiative is expected to empower women in STEM fields and foster gender inclusivity in higher education.
Prof. Singh lauded the government’s holistic approach to strengthening Haryana’s education sector, stating that the initiatives outlined in this groundbreaking budget will lay the foundation for a progressive, equitable, quality-focused, research-driven, and skill-oriented academic ecosystem in the state.