Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday, 12 July 2026, attended an inauguration and foundation-laying ceremony at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology (GJU) in Hisar, unveiling three development projects aimed at strengthening higher education infrastructure in the state.

What Was Inaugurated

CM Saini inaugurated the Khejarli Mahabaliadan Smriti Shilp (a memorial sculpture commemorating the Khejarli martyrdom), the Mata Amrita Devi Circle, and a new building for the Nursing Department at GJU. He also laid the foundation stone for a modern girls' hostel on the university campus, a facility intended to expand residential access for women students enrolled at the institution. Posting about the event on X, Saini wrote: 'ये परियोजनाएँ प्रदेश में गुणवत्तापूर्ण शिक्षा एवं आधुनिक आधारभूत सुविधाओं को नई मजबूती प्रदान करेंगी' — 'These projects will provide new strength to quality education and modern infrastructure in the state.'

Context: GJU and Hisar's Education Ecosystem

Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology was established in 1995 and is one of Haryana's principal state universities, with a focus on science, technology, and management programmes. Hisar, located in western Haryana, has grown as a regional hub for agricultural and technological education. The university's Nursing Department building and the proposed girls' hostel address longstanding infrastructure gaps that affect women's participation in higher education in the region. The memorial projects carry cultural weight. Mata Amrita Devi was an 18th-century Bishnoi community leader who sacrificed her life to protect Khejri trees in the Khejarli village of Rajasthan — an act of environmental martyrdom commemorated across Haryana and Rajasthan. Naming a university circle and erecting a memorial sculpture in her honour at GJU connects the institution's public identity to environmental and community heritage.

Policy Backdrop: NEP 2020 and Haryana's Education Push

Saini explicitly linked the projects to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020. The NEP replaced India's 1986 education framework and emphasises multidisciplinary learning, research, and skill development across school and higher-education levels. In his post, Saini stated that 'in line with the respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's National Education Policy, education, research and skill development are being continuously strengthened in Haryana.' The Chief Minister framed the state's goal as establishing Haryana as a 'strong knowledge economy hub' by providing youth with world-class education, modern resources, and better opportunities. Haryana has pursued a series of infrastructure upgrades at state universities in recent years as part of its NEP implementation drive.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most immediate beneficiaries are students at GJU Hisar, particularly women students who will gain access to the new girls' hostel once construction is complete. The Nursing Department building is expected to improve clinical training infrastructure for students in healthcare programmes. Broader stakeholders include Haryana's youth population and the Bishnoi community, for whom the Mata Amrita Devi Circle and the Khejarli memorial carry historical and cultural significance.

What's Next

The foundation-laying of the girls' hostel marks the beginning of a construction phase whose timeline has not been publicly specified. More broadly, Haryana's higher-education agenda under the NEP framework is expected to include further curriculum reforms, accreditation drives, and state budget allocations for university infrastructure in upcoming fiscal cycles. The pace of NEP-linked changes at GJU and other state universities will be a measure of how effectively the state translates policy commitments into on-ground outcomes.