New Delhi [India], January 10 : The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Saturday handed over possession of land to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) and Delhi Teachers' University (DeTU) for the establishment of their new campuses in Narela.
The land possession was formally handed over under the leadership of Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood was present on the occasion and received the land possession documents on behalf of the universities.
Both LG and the Education Minister congratulated the institutions, noting that campus expansion would help provide quality education to students not only in Delhi, but across the country.
According to an official release, allotment of land for setting up the new campuses aims at strengthening the higher education infrastructure in the National Capital, which was stalled by the Arvind Kejriwal government, which refused to pay any amount in lieu of the land allotted to the universities.
The expansion of university campuses in Narela aligns with the larger vision of developing the area as an emerging epicentre of education, benefitting residents of neighbouring regions, particularly outer Delhi and several districts of Haryana.
This initiative is expected to significantly strengthen Delhi's educational infrastructure while increasing footfall and catalysing holistic development in Narela, thereby positioning it as a major educational and infrastructure hub, the release said.
Delhi Teachers' University 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. The university is currently operating from a school building in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi, and lacks adequate infrastructure.
With the new land, DeTU is set to begin work on its own dedicated campus.
Similarly, GGSIPU has been handed over possession of 22.43 acres of land in Narela after paying Rs 162.90 crore to the DDA.
This will be the university's third campus, expanding its footprint in North Delhi. At present, GGSIPU operates from its main campus in Dwarka and its East Delhi campus at Surajmal Vihar.
The DDA had originally allotted the land to these Delhi government universities in January 2024. However, the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led government failed to make the required payments, resulting in the allotment being placed on hold, the release said.
On several occasions, LG personally requested Kejriwal to make budgetary provisions for the purchase of land, but in vain. Subsequently, the allotment of land was put in abeyance.
Following the change in government, the Rekha Gupta-led administration allocated Rs 500 crore for universities in its first budget, out of which Rs 452 crore has already been paid to the DDA. An additional Rs 500 crore has also been approved in the revised estimates, the release said.
In his recent address, the LG praised the Delhi Government for prioritising education by earmarking 19 per cent of the total budget for the sector.
Reiterating that quality education is a fundamental right and not a privilege, the Lt. Governor stated that the present government's actions, unlike the neglect witnessed earlier, are translating vision into execution and laying a strong and sustainable foundation for Delhi's educational and socio-economic future.
In January 2024, the LG, acting on the demands and to provide boost to infrastructure development in Narela, allotted 181 acres of land to seven government universities and institutions. The land parcels for all these universities have been allotted in close vicinity of each other.
The Delhi Government has also planned to develop the infrastructure in such a way that common facilities such as Library and Sports Infrastructure could be used by the universities and students, so as to save money and ensure optimum utilisation of resources, the release said.
Subsequently, DDA in November 2025 also approved the change of land use in Narela Sub-City for the development of university campuses. Strategically located near Urban Extension Road-I and along the proposed Rithala - Narela - Kundli Metro corridor, the area offers enhanced public accessibility and connectivity, further supporting the planned development of Narela as an education hub.