UGC urges HEIs to share feedback on ‘University Townships’ initiative

The Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide public consultation to gather suggestions on the proposed ‘University Township’ initiative. The initiative was announced in para 62 of the Union Budget 2026-27. Under the initiative, the Government of India plans to work with state governments to establish five university townships near major industrial and logistics corridors.

The ‘University Township’ consultation will be conducted through an online survey questionnaire available on the MyGov platform. This platform will collect views from a wide range of stakeholders in the higher education and industry sectors.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) , through a post on X, has urged higher education institutions (HEIs) to circulate details of the ministry's consultation and encourage participation from students, faculty members, researchers, administrators, alumni, industry partners and other stakeholders.

Also read Budget 2026 Speech Highlights: New institutes, 5 university townships announced; skilling push for education

University Townships to bring together education, research, industry

The proposed townships are expected to bring together universities, colleges, research institutions, skill development centres and residential facilities within integrated academic zones. The government intends for these townships to strengthen connections between higher education, research, skills and industry.

Through this ongoing consultation, the ministry will seek suggestions that can help shape the framework and implementation of the Initiative. The survey is open to stakeholders who can provide perspectives on the proposed academic hubs.

Stakeholder feedback will help the ministry formulate the initiative and determine how the planned university townships can support education, research, skills and industry collaboration.

The ministry has also shared the MyGov survey link for the ‘University Townships’ Initiative.