Haryana committed to education, women empowerment: CM in pre-Budget meet

Gurugram, Jan 12 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that the state government remains firmly committed to strengthening education and advancing women empowerment.

Addressing a pre-Budget consultation meeting with educationists and women representatives in Gurugram, CM Saini emphasised that education is the soul of society and the foundation of character and skills, and reforms in the sector will give a lasting shape to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

The CM recalled that in the previous Budget, the state government allocated Rs. 21,893 crores for the education sector by incorporating 63 key suggestions received during pre-Budget consultations.

Saini also underscored the significance of research and innovation, and said it forms the very essence of higher education. Keeping this in view, the state government has created a Rs 20 crore Haryana State Research Fund in the current financial year, the CM said.

He also emphasised that the government had resolved to develop one government college in each district as a Model Sanskriti College and these 22 colleges would function as per National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Highlighting the importance of NEP, he said the policy provides a clear roadmap to align India's education system with 21st-century needs. In this direction, the NEEV Portal was launched in Panchkula on January 8, which serves as an intelligent, data-driven decision support system, bridging the gap between policy formulation and institutional implementation.

The CM said that women welfare will also be accorded priority in the Budget. He said that an allocation of over Rs. 2,100 crore was made for the Women and Child Development Department in the previous Budget, out of which Rs. 975 crore has already been utilised.

The government has launched the Lado Lakshmi Yojana and expanded the Kishori Yojana across all districts, the CM highlighted, adding that women hostels are being constructed in six districts.

In the meeting, he also referred to the economic empowerment of women self-help groups, and said that one-third of canteen tenders in government institutions have been allotted to SHGs.

Additionally, 2,000 Anganwadi centres are being upgraded into Saksham Anganwadi Centres to provide improved nutrition, health, and care facilities to mothers and children, he said. PTI COR AMJ AMJ