Haryana is set to take a major step towards strengthening policy-oriented research and evidence-based governance, with Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi reviewing a proposal to recognize the Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management (SJHIFM) as a research centre of the Kurukshetra University.
The initiative aims to build a robust research ecosystem to support the State’s long-term development vision and the goal of Viksit Haryana-2047. During a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, the proposal was discussed to enable SJHIFM to undertake doctoral research programmes and emerge as a multidisciplinary centre of excellence in policy research, fiscal management, digital governance and capacity building.
The move is expected to institutionalise long-term research in priority sectors and strengthen evidence-based decision-making within the Government. Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, Sh. A.K. Singh informed that the proposed association of SJHIFM with Kurukshetra University would enable the Institute to offer Ph.D. programmes on the lines of established research institutions in the country, in accordance with the Acts and Statutes of Kurukshetra University and norms prescribed by the UGC.
He said that SJHIFM is already engaged in outcome-based research, public policy studies, fiscal management, digital governance and capacity-building initiatives, and this association would significantly enhance its academic and research capabilities. The meeting also examined a proposal to revise the eligibility criteria for the sanctioned posts of Team Lead and State Programme Officer at SJHIFM.
The revised norms aim to attract a wider pool of highly qualified professionals, including Ph.D. holders, academicians, research scholars, scientists and experts from universities, research institutions, government departments, public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies. This would also help create a pool of eligible supervisors for the proposed Ph.D. programmes. The initiative is expected to strengthen Haryana’s research ecosystem in alignment with the State’s developmental priorities and provide evidence-based policy inputs for effective governance.
Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Prof. S.N. Sachdeva; Director General, Higher Education, Sh. S. Narayanan; Advisor, Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management, Panchkula, Prof. R.S. Rathore; and other senior officers from the Department of Higher Education and SJHIFM were present in the meeting.