Delhi government boosts Narela education city; project outlay hiked to Rs 1,300 crore

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Saturday announced a major push to develop Narela as a world-class education and innovation hub, with the project outlay for the proposed Narela Education City being increased from Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,300 crore, Education Minister Ashish Sood said. Addressing a press conference, Sood said the decision reflects the government's long-term vision for strengthening higher and technical education in the national capital.

As part of the initiative, possession letters for land parcels measuring about 12.69 acres for Delhi Teachers' University and 22.43 acres for Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University were handed over at Raj Niwas in the presence of the lieutenant governor, he said. The move is expected to give concrete momentum to the project, he added. The minister said Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) had earlier been allotted 50 acres of land, and with the latest allocations, the government is moving steadily towards developing a world-class education and innovation hub spread over nearly 160 acres in Narela.

Project outlay raised to Rs 1,300 crore

Sood said the payment process to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for land allotment has also been expedited. While the project was initially sanctioned with an outlay of Rs 500 crore, the allocation was enhanced to Rs 1,300 crore in the latest budget keeping future requirements in mind, he added. Of this, around Rs 462 crore has already been paid, and the remaining amount will be cleared within the current financial year, Sood said.

He said the Narela Education City would not be limited to physical infrastructure but would be developed as a shared campus based on global best practices. Common facilities such as modern libraries, advanced laboratories, seminar halls, auditoriums, and research and innovation centres will be created to ensure optimal use of resources and wider access for students, Sood said.

Residential facilities in the form of LIG, MIG, HIG and EWS flats for faculty and staff are also planned within the university campuses, he said. Various universities have proposed investments of about Rs 567 crore for the construction of flats, hostels and related infrastructure. International consultants and scientific studies are being used to guide the planning and execution of the project, the minister added. Sood further said Narela holds strategic importance, with work on the Rithala-Narela Metro corridor currently underway.

11 months of visible education reforms

Improved connectivity is expected to spur overall development in the surrounding areas. According to the minister, the establishment of universities is also likely to generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities, including teaching and non-teaching jobs, hostel services and allied activities. The minister said that within a short span of 11 months, the Delhi government has taken concrete steps towards reforms in school, higher and technical education, and that these changes are visible on the ground rather than remaining confined to announcements.

Referring to recent initiatives, Sood said the Delhi Startup Yuva Festival began on January 9, with participation from over 750 startups. A dialogue involving the chief minister and senior industry experts is also proposed on January 14. These efforts, he said, underline the government's commitment to building a modern, future-ready education ecosystem for the younger generation during the Amrit Kaal.