The land handover took place under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, with Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood present on the occasion. The land possession documents were formally received by the Education Minister. The LG and the Education Minister congratulated the universities.

The allotment of land for the new campuses aims to strengthen higher education infrastructure in Delhi. According to officials, it had been stalled earlier as the AAP-led government refused to pay any amount in lieu of the land allotted to the universities.

The expansion of university campuses in Narela aligns with the broader vision of developing the sub-city as an emerging education hub. The officials said the move would benefit residents of neighbouring regions, particularly Outer Delhi and several districts of Haryana, while also increasing footfall and catalysing holistic development in Narela.

Delhi Teachers University (DeTU) has been allotted 12.69 acres of land in Sector G-2/G-6, Narela, for which the Delhi Government has paid Rs 92.16 crore to the DDA. DeTU is expected to soon begin work on its dedicated campus. At present, the university is functioning out of a school building in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi, and lacks basic infrastructural facilities.

Similarly, GGSIPU has been handed over possession of 22.43 acres of land in Narela after a payment of Rs 162.90 crore was made to the DDA. This will be the university's third campus, adding to its existing main campus in Dwarka and the East Delhi campus at Surajmal Vihar.

Narela edu city project budget raised to Rs 1,300 cr

The government took another step towards strengthening higher education infrastructure with the development of Narela Education City as a world class education and innovation hub. The initiative, announced by Education Minister Ashish Sood, aims to transform Narela into a global centre for education, research, and innovation.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Sood said the project reflects the Delhi Government's long-term vision for youth centric development under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Highlighting the scale of investment, he stated, "The project budget, initially set at Rs 500 crore, has been increased to Rs 1,300 crore keeping in mind the future of the youth."

With these allocations, the Delhi Government is moving ahead with plans to develop nearly 160 acres into a world-class education and innovation hub. Officials said the project has gained momentum following the expedited payment process to the Delhi Development Authority. Of the revised Rs 1,300 crore budget, around Rs 462 crore has already been paid and the remaining amount is expected to be cleared within the current financial year.

The proposed Narela Education City will function on a shared campus model based on global best practices. Facilities such as modern libraries, advanced laboratories, seminar halls, auditoriums and dedicated research and innovation centres are planned to ensure optimal use of resources and wider access for students across institutions.

In addition to academic infrastructure, residential facilities for faculty and staff will also be developed. Universities have proposed an investment of approximately Rs 567 crore for constructing LIG, MIG, HIG, and EWS flats, hostels and related amenities. The government is undertaking scientific studies and consulting international experts for the planning and execution of the project.

The Education Minister also pointed to broader reforms in the education sector, stating that within just 11 months, the Delhi Government has initiated visible changes across school, higher, and technical education. He also referred to the Delhi Startup Yuva Festival that began on January 9, which has seen participation from over 750 startups, with a proposed interaction session involving the Chief Minister and industry experts scheduled for January 14.