Govt. hikes budget for Narela Education City to ₹1,300 crore

Education Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday announced a budget hike for Narela Education City from ₹500 crore to ₹1,300 crore as part of a larger vision of developing the area as the epicentre of education.

During the 2025-26 budget, the government had allocated ₹500 crore to strengthen education infrastructure in the Capital and assured existing universities that Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land would be allotted for their expansion.

‘Shared campus’ model

“While the project initially had a budgetary provision of ₹500 crore, keeping future requirements in mind, it has been increased to ₹1,300 crore. So far, the Delhi government has paid approximately ₹452 crore, and the remaining amount will also be released within the current financial year,” Mr. Sood said at a press conference.

After its development, the education hub will span 160 acres and adopt a “shared campus” model, enabling multiple universities in the area to use common libraries, laboratories and other facilities, he said.

“This [shared] approach will ensure optimal utilisation of resources and provide direct benefits to a larger number of students,” Mr. Sood said, adding that the government has also planned to build flats for the staff within the premises of the universities.

Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena handed over land allotment letters to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Delhi Teachers University of 22.43 and 12.69 acres respectively for setting up their campuses in Narela. The Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women had been allotted 50 acres of land earlier.

The L-G said that the expansion of the university campuses would go a long way towards providing quality education not only to students from Delhi but also from across the country and would reaffirm the national capital’s position as a “leading centre of higher education”.

“The expansion of university campuses in Narela aligns with the larger vision of developing the area as an emerging epicentre of education, benefiting residents in Outer Delhi and neighbouring areas,” stated a release from the L-G’s office.