Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday interacted with athletes, young content creators, skill-based entrepreneurs and start-up–associated youth during a pre-budget consultation meeting held at the Kurukshetra University campus.
Extending greetings on the New Year and the upcoming Basant Panchami, the Chief Minister said that this meeting is a collective process of shaping Haryana’s future, in which the role of youth is decisive. He said that youth and athletes have made an invaluable contribution in establishing Haryana’s identity at the national and international levels. Through consistent outstanding performances in the Olympics, World Championships, Asian and Commonwealth Games, Haryana’s athletes have proved the State to be a powerhouse of sports. Referring to Shafali Verma, Neeraj Chopra, Neeraj Goyat, Rani Rampal and the Phogat sisters, he said that these achievements are the result of the youth’s determination, discipline and hard work.
On this occasion, Sports State Minister Gaurav Gautam, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University Prof. Somnath Sachdeva and Vice-Chancellor of Haryana Sports University Ashok Kumar were present.
Haryana’s Youth Progressing Beyond Sports in Every Field
The Chief Minister said that today’s youth of Haryana are not limited only to sports, but are also creating a new identity in the fields of start-ups, innovation, digital content creation, skill development, education and modern technology. Speaking on the role of digital content creators, he said that content today is a powerful medium to guide society. Content should not only go viral, but should be positive, value-based and capable of guiding the nation and society. He said that artificial intelligence and new digital technologies are expanding opportunities, but character and vision are greater elements than technology.
Youth Voices Reaching Policy-Making Through Pre-Budget Consultations
The Chief Minister informed that a provision of ₹1,961.79 crore was made in the budget for 2025–26 for the Sports, Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Department, out of which ₹1,096 crore has already been spent. He said that out of 73 suggestions received during the pre-budget meeting held in Kurukshetra last year, 32 suggestions were included in Budget 2025–26, which is a strong proof of youth participation.
From Mission Olympics 2036 to Skill Centres — Decisions Based on Youth Suggestions
The Chief Minister said that initiatives such as the Mission Olympics 2036 Vijayibhav Scheme, medical insurance cover of up to ₹20 lakh for athletes, establishment of new sports nurseries, increase in scholarships, GIS mapping of sports stadiums, centres of excellence under PPP mode, modern ITIs, skill centres and career counselling are all outcomes of suggestions given by youth. He informed that over the last 11 years, more than 16,000 medal-winning athletes have been awarded cash prizes worth ₹683 crore, and 231 athletes have been provided government jobs.
Focus on Research, Higher Education and the Future Economy
The Chief Minister said that to strengthen higher education and research, a Haryana State Research Fund of ₹20 crore has been created. Along with this, Model Cultural Colleges are being developed in every district, where all provisions of the National Education Policy will be implemented by 2026–27.
‘Department of Future’ for AI, Green Tech and Biotech
The Chief Minister informed that keeping in view the needs of the future economy, a ‘Department of Future’ was established in August 2025. Under the Haryana AI Mission, AI hubs will be set up in Gurugram and Panchkula, for which the World Bank has assured financial assistance of ₹474 crore.
Today’s Suggestions Will Shape Tomorrow’s Budget
Nayab Singh Saini said that all suggestions received in the meeting will be included in Budget 2026–27 with seriousness and priority. He urged the youth to send their additional suggestions through the government’s chatbot within the next 8 to 10 days. The Chief Minister said that stakeholders whose suggestions are included in the budget will be specially invited to the Assembly to listen to the budget speech, so that they can directly witness this process.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the government is continuously working on youth policies with the cooperation of young people. He informed that incubation centres have been set up for youth to provide proper guidance for innovation and start-ups. The government’s objective is to make youth job creators rather than job seekers. He said that investors from several countries, including Japan, have shown interest in Haryana and have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the State Government.
Strengthening Industry–Academia Coordination for Placements
The Chief Minister said that coordination between industries and educational institutions is being strengthened to provide better employment opportunities to youth. For this purpose, MoUs are being signed with various companies. He said that Haryana’s youth work on an idea and have the courage to take it to its destination. Many youths have developed their ideas despite limited resources, and today those ideas have transformed into large industries. The government stands with such youth at every step.
Focus on Agriculture and Women Entrepreneurship
He said that a ‘Fund of Funds’ of ₹2,000 crore has been constituted to promote start-ups. Along with this, policies are being framed by taking suggestions related to agriculture, FPOs, natural farming, women entrepreneurship and public representatives. Suggestions for the budget have also been taken from Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly.
The Chief Minister made it clear that this budget does not belong to the government or any election, but to 2.80 crore citizens of Haryana. With this spirit, the pre-budget consultation process has been initiated to ensure participation of every section.
Nayab Singh Saini said that in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve of a ‘Viksit Bharat’, Haryana is moving ahead rapidly. There has been unprecedented transformation in roads, railways, air services and connectivity. India has today become the world’s fourth-largest economy and is moving towards becoming the third-largest economic power. He said by adopting self-reliance and ‘Vocal for Local’, no force can stop India from moving forward. Haryana’s youth are the strongest foundation of this transformation.
On this occasion, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary, Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Department, Rajeev Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Sports Department, Vijay Singh Dahiya, Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Yash Pal, Director General and Secretary, Higher Education Department, S. Narayanan, Director and Special Secretary, Sports Department, Parth Gupta, OSD to the Chief Minister Dr. Raj Nehru, along with other senior officers, were also present.
