Haryana Health Minister, Arti Singh Rao, has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in rural areas. She said that the government is continuously working to ensure that modern, accessible, and quality healthcare facilities are available in villages on par with urban areas.
The primary objective is to ensure that people living in rural regions do not have to depend on distant cities for basic medical treatment and can avail themselves of quality healthcare services close to their homes.
In line with this commitment, Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini has granted administrative approval for the establishment of a new Sub-Health Centre in Dhirana village of Bhiwani district. The project is estimated to cost approximately Rs. 55.49 lakh, which will be utilized for the construction and development of the centre’s infrastructure. The facility will be equipped with essential medical equipment, medicines, and patient care amenities, providing direct benefits to the residents of Dhirana and nearby villages.
Arti Singh Rao further said that the establishment of new healthcare centres across the state is being undertaken after carefully assessing public needs and longstanding local demands. The government is evaluating regional healthcare requirements to expand the reach of medical services to underdeveloped areas. She assured that, in the future as well, the government will continue its efforts to further strengthen and modernize the rural healthcare system while keeping public welfare at the forefront.
SIET Panchkula set to emerge as a centre of excellence under IIT Ropar’s mentorship
Historic MoU signed to foster academic and research excellence
In a major development for technical education in the region, the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar), Punjab, and the State Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panchkula (SIET Panchkula), Haryana, have officially established a program for academic cooperation. This landmark agreement is aimed at fostering collaboration between the two institutions, promoting knowledge exchange, and providing students and faculty with valuable national and global exposure through mutually beneficial initiatives. The collaboration encompasses a wide range of academic, research, and innovation-focused activities designed to enhance learning opportunities and deliver a world-class educational experience to engineering students.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formally signed by the Director of IIT Ropar, Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, HOD, Prof. C.C. Reddy, and Director-Principal of SIET Panchkula, Professor, Sh. Anil Kumar Rose.
Key Highlights of the Partnership Framework
Elite Student Exchange Program: Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral students from both campuses will get the opportunity to spend a maximum of one year at the partner institution for advanced education or research.
Zero Additional Tuition Fees: To keep the program highly accessible, exchange students will continue to pay tuition and standard fees at their home institution, receiving a complete tuition fee exemption from the host institution.
Branch Quotas & Shared Academic Oversight: The host institute will accept students per academic branch. Students will retain full-time status at their home institutions, while their specific study frameworks will be jointly decided by academic advisors from both campuses.
Subsidized Housing: Recognizing the logistical needs of moving students, both institutions have committed to making every effort to arrange subsidized campus housing for participants.
Seamless Credit Transfer & Research Evaluation: The host institution will formally evaluate student coursework via letter grades or marks, enabling the home campus to award credit transfers after matching curriculum lines. For research students, a technical report and official evaluation will be generated to formally document their laboratory or field progress.
The institute expressed gratitude to Haryana Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, Education Minister, Mahipal Dhanda, Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, Apoorva Kumar Singh, IAS, and Director General, Directorate of Technical Education, Prabhjot Singh, IAS and Director-Principal of SIET Panchkula, Professor, Anil Kumar Rose. Their visionary leadership, unwavering support, and steadfast commitment to elevating the standards of technical education have played a pivotal role in making this landmark academic and research partnership between the two institutions a reality.
This partnership will not only open new opportunities for students and faculty members but will also set new standards of excellence in technical education and research in Haryana. This is a very important and historic partnership.
HMRTC returns to profit, metro ridership surges as Haryana accelerates future-ready transit network
Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi Reviews Metro and Namo Bharat Projects at 65th Board Meeting of HMRTC
Haryana’s plans to build an integrated network of Metro and Namo Bharat corridors gathered momentum on Monday with the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC) reporting a sharp improvement in its financial performance and passenger traffic even as multiple high-value transit projects moved closer to implementation.
The progress was reviewed at the 65th Board Meeting of HMRTC chaired by Haryana Chief Secretary and Corporation Chairman Sh. Anurag Rastogi.
The corporation reported a surplus of ₹9.18 crore during January-May 2026, a significant turnaround from a deficit of ₹1.98 crore recorded during the corresponding period last year. Total income rose by nearly 47 per cent to ₹35 crore from ₹23.76 crore a year earlier, reflecting stronger operational performance and improved asset monetisation.
One of the key drivers of growth was non-fare revenue, which more than doubled to ₹16.16 crore from ₹6.42 crore last year. Revenue from e-auction of advertising rights, commercial utilisation of metro assets and station-based business activities contributed substantially to the increase. Fare revenue also grew by over 10 per cent during the period.
Despite the rise in income, expenditure remained largely under control. Total expenditure stood at ₹25.82 crore compared with ₹25.74 crore during the same period last year, while operational expenses increased by only 0.31 per cent.
Managing Director, HMRTC, Chander Shekhar Khare informed the Board that public confidence in the Rapid Metro network continues to strengthen. Passenger ridership increased by 9.41 per cent, with more than 80.76 lakh commuters using the network during the first five months of 2026 compared with 73.81 lakh passengers during the corresponding period last year.
Reviewing future projects, Anurag Rastogi took stock of progress on a series of Metro and Namo Bharat corridors that are expected to transform regional mobility across Haryana and the National Capital Region.
Among the key projects under consideration is the proposed Sector-56 Gurugram to Panchgaon Metro corridor, a 35.25-km elevated route with 28 stations. The final DPR has already been submitted and is being placed before the Chief Minister for approval.
The Board also reviewed progress on the Ballabhgarh-Palwal Metro extension, proposed to span about 30.30 km with 18 elevated stations, and the Bahadurgarh-Asaudha Metro corridor, for which the final ridership assessment has been completed.
On the Narela-Kundli Metro extension, members were informed that the Haryana Government has granted in-principle approval for allotment of 10 hectares of land free of cost to facilitate project implementation, marking a significant step forward for the long-pending connectivity proposal.
The meeting further reviewed the revised DPR of the Delhi-Panipat-Karnal Namo Bharat Corridor, one of the most ambitious regional transit projects in North India. The 136.3-km corridor, estimated to cost over ₹33,000 crore, has already secured approvals from the Public Investment Board and the Haryana Government. Progress on the Gurugram-Faridabad-Noida-Greater Noida Namo Bharat Corridor was also discussed.
With several Metro and Namo Bharat projects moving through different stages of approval and planning, the HMRTC is increasingly emerging as a key driver of Haryana’s long-term urban transport strategy.
Additional Chief Secretary, Town & Country Planning, Anurag Agarwal, CEO, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, Sh. PC Meena, Commissioner and Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, Sh. Ashok Kumar Meena, Director, Town & Country Planning, Sh. Amit Khatri, MD, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Sh. Sushil Sarwan, and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
