NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has taken a major step towards developing Narela as a world class education and innovation hub, enhancing the project outlay from Rs 800 crore to Rs 1,300 crore and handing over key land parcels to universities to accelerate on ground execution.
Announcing the decision at a press conference on Friday, Ashish Sood, Minister for Education, said the move would have long term impact on higher and technical education in the capital.
As part of the latest allotments, Delhi Teachers University has been given 12.69 acres of land, while Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University has received 22.43 acres within the Narela Education City. The land transfer is expected to give concrete momentum to the project, which spans nearly 160 acres. Sood told this newspaper that the Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women had already been allotted 50 acres earlier, marking the beginning of large-scale academic development in the area.
According to Sood, the government has also fast-tracked payments to the Delhi Development Authority for land allotment. Of the revised Rs 1,300 crore allocation, about Rs 452 crore has already been paid, with the remaining amount scheduled to be cleared within the current financial year.
Speaking to the Sunday Guardian, Sood said that the Narela Education City will follow a shared campus model based on global best practices, focusing not just on physical infrastructure but also on collaborative academic and research ecosystems. Plans include common libraries, advanced laboratories, seminar halls, auditoriums, and innovation and research facilities to ensure optimal use of resources and wider student access.
Residential infrastructure will also form a key component of the project; LIG, MIG, HIG and EWS housing units are proposed for faculty and staff within the university campuses. Universities have submitted proposals indicating investments of around Rs 567 crore for housing, hostels and allied facilities.
Officials said scientific studies and international level consultants are being engaged to guide planning and execution. Highlighting the strategic importance of Narela, Sood pointed to the ongoing Rithala-Narela Metro Corridor, which is expected to significantly improve connectivity and spur development in the surrounding areas.
The establishment of multiple universities, he said, would generate substantial direct and indirect employment across teaching, administration, hostels and support services. Sood also underlined that the government’s education push has delivered visible outcomes within just 11 months, covering schools, higher and technical education.
“These changes are not confined to announcements or advertisements. They are clearly visible on the ground,” he said.
