Haryana CM Pushes Universities to Bridge Industry Gap with Annual Job Fairs
Nayab Singh Saini urges state universities to partner with industries and bolster placement cells, aiming to make youth self-reliant while targeting 50% GER in higher education by fostering research and innovation
By NewsArc Bureau
Chandigarh | September 19, 2025
In a bold move to align academia with industry, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed all state universities and colleges to forge robust partnerships with industries and organize annual job fairs to unlock employment opportunities for students. Chairing a high-level review meeting of the Higher Education Department in Panchkula on Friday, the CM emphasized that universities must take the lead in capitalizing on Haryana’s emergence as a major industrial hub, home to numerous multinational companies, to ensure students reap direct benefits from this economic surge.
“Haryana is fast becoming a global industrial powerhouse. Our universities and colleges must proactively connect students with these opportunities, enabling them to become self-reliant during their education,” Saini declared, addressing Vice Chancellors of all state universities. He stressed the need for fully operational placement cells to streamline job access at the institutional level, urging institutions to compile a centralized dashboard tracking alumni employed abroad, running startups, or excelling in diverse fields for better policy planning.
The CM reviewed the implementation of budget announcements for 2025-26 aimed at bolstering higher education, directing strict adherence to timelines to maximize benefits for students and institutions. A key highlight was the state’s pioneering Rs 20 crore Research and Innovation Fund, lauded by Vice Chancellors as a first-of-its-kind initiative in India. Saini called for encouraging students to pursue research on socially relevant issues, noting that such work would drive meaningful impact and innovation.
The meeting also spotlighted Haryana’s ambitious target to raise its Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education from 33% to 50%. To support this, the government plans to establish a model Sanskriti College in each district, a move expected to significantly boost access to quality education. Saini further pushed for universities to strive for self-reliance, urging Vice Chancellors to enhance operational efficiency and institutional autonomy.
The review comes amid Haryana’s broader push to align education with employment, with job fairs envisioned as a bridge between academia and the state’s thriving industrial ecosystem, including sectors like automobiles, IT, and textiles, which have attracted giants like Maruti Suzuki and Infosys. Attendees included Haryana State Higher Education Council Chairman K.C. Sharma, OSD to CM Dr. Raj Nehru, Technical Education Director Rakesh Sandhu, senior Higher Education Department officials, and Vice Chancellors.
As Haryana aims to transform its youth into job creators and innovators, Saini’s directives signal a proactive shift toward an education system that not only imparts knowledge but also powers economic independence. With job fairs set to become an annual fixture, the state’s universities are poised to redefine their role in shaping a self-reliant future.
