Chandigarh, April 21
Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess progress of key government initiatives in sports, early childhood education, nutrition and higher education, with a focus on improving service delivery and achieving development targets. Rastogi said the state’s progress will be measured by its ability to ensure transparent, technology-driven, and citizen-centric governance as it works to align with the national vision of Viksit Bharat. “State progress will be judged by how effectively we deliver transparent, technology-driven and citizen-focused governance,” he said during the meeting.
Officials informed that anganwadi centres are being strengthened as early learning spaces for children from birth to six years. More than 4,000 centres have been upgraded with pre-school kits, toys, furniture, hygiene materials and drinking water facilities, while 21,962 additional centres have been provided with customised education kits.
A workforce of 25,000 trained anganwadi workers across all 22 districts is delivering early learning and care to a large number of children. Monthly early childhood education activities are being conducted with participation from over 22,800 workers and around 1.5 lakh parents. The review also highlighted outreach efforts, including more than 1,050 parent-teacher meetings for children aged three to six years, as well as 450 meetings and 200 home visits for children below three years. Around 15,000 Vidyarambh certificates have been distributed in several districts.
Rastogi directed the Women and Child Development Department to define measurable targets for each initiative and ensure timely completion within the set timelines. In the education sector, officials said the NIPUN Bharat Mission will be extended up to Grade 5 by March 2027. Steps are also being taken to issue APAAR and ABHA digital IDs to children in the zero-to-six age group to strengthen health and academic tracking.
Anganwadi centres are being equipped with Poshan vatikas to provide fresh produce, while hygiene kits are being introduced to promote cleanliness and self-care among children. In higher education, the Haryana State Research Fund has been launched with an initial allocation of Rs 20 crore. The fund offers research grants of up to Rs 50 lakh for teachers and Rs 5 lakh for students. A total of 350 proposals have been received so far, with 90 shortlisted for further consideration.
Workshops on the National Education Policy 2020 were conducted across affiliated colleges between September and November 2025, and universities are being encouraged to strengthen alumni networks to support academic growth. In the sports sector, the government is working towards long-term targets for the 2036 Olympics through a talent identification programme, Vijayee Bhavah, aimed at nurturing children aged eight to ten into competitive athletes.
The initiative has received initial funding approval, and implementation will be undertaken by the Sports University of Haryana. District-level talent identification is also being promoted under the One District One Sport initiative. The review is expected to guide further policy action and strengthen the implementation of welfare and development programmes across the state.
