Lucknow,

19 May (HS): At a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at

Lok Bhavan, Lucknow, several important decisions were taken to further

strengthen, broaden, and enhance Uttar Pradesh's higher education system. In a

press conference following the meeting, Higher Education Minister Yogendra

Upadhyay stated that under the leadership of the Yogi government, the state is

achieving remarkable achievements in both expansion and quality in the field of

higher education. He said that while there were only 16 state universities in

the state before 2017, their number has now increased to 24. Similarly, the

number of private universities has increased from 29 to 53, while the process

of issuing letters of intent to eight other private universities is underway.

The

Higher Education Minister stated that the Apex Welfare Trust, known for its

high-quality medical services in Varanasi, is now investing in the education

sector. The Trust has submitted a proposal to establish Sardar Patel Apex

University on approximately 50.45 acres of land in Samaspur village, Chunar

tehsil, Mirzapur district, and all necessary formalities have been completed.

The Cabinet approved the proposal to issue a letter of intent to this

university.

He

informed that this proposal has been approved after thorough examination and

evaluation in accordance with the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Private

Universities Act, 2019 and the Uttar Pradesh Private Universities

(Establishment) Rules, 2021. This decision is extremely important in strengthening

the participation of the private sector in the state, providing quality and

employment-oriented education to the youth and accelerating the balanced

development of the region.

Additionally,

the Council of Ministers has decided to promulgate the Uttar Pradesh Private

Universities (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, to make the legal framework

relating to private universities more effective and practical. The Minister

explained that the Amendment Ordinance, 2026, was previously promulgated to

establish Metro University, Greater Noida, but the related bill could not be

passed in the second session of the legislature. In such a situation, the

Second Amendment Ordinance is being introduced to maintain legal continuity and

to ensure smooth progress in the establishment process of the proposed

university.

The

Higher Education Minister stated that the Yogi government's clear priority is

to provide youth with a modern, technologically advanced, and globally

competitive education. The government is continuously promoting investment,

innovation, research, and institutional development in higher education,

establishing Uttar Pradesh as a knowledge-based economy and a leading national

educational center.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi