The Haryana Cabinet on Thursday approved an amendment to the policy governing nursing homes in licensed residential colonies, allowing qualified doctors to establish such facilities on residential plots taken on lease. Until now, the policy provided for nursing homes on residential plots owned by eligible doctors. The amendment is aimed at expanding access to healthcare facilities within residential colonies by widening the options available to medical practitioners. The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, also cleared a proposal to introduce The Haryana Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, for establishing Masters Union University in Gurugram.
Under the amended policy, permission to establish nursing homes can be granted on residential plots either owned or leased by qualified Allopathic or AYUSH doctors. Such facilities will be permitted to admit patients and provide indoor treatment after payment of the prescribed conversion charges. In cases where the nursing home is established on leased property, the permission will remain valid only for the duration of the lease. Once the lease expires, the approval to operate the nursing home on that plot will also cease. The government said the change was introduced in view of the increasing need for accessible healthcare facilities within plotted residential colonies.
Doctors seeking permission under the amended policy will have to fulfil specified professional requirements. The applicant must possess a valid registration number with the Medical Council or AYUSH Council and must be currently practising. The doctor will also have to be registered with the local branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Applicants will be required to submit an affidavit confirming compliance with these conditions along with their application. The government expects the relaxation to make it easier for qualified practitioners who do not own residential plots to establish nursing homes closer to residential communities.
In a separate decision, the Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006, to facilitate the establishment of Masters Union University in Gurugram. The proposed institution will be set up by Shanti Foundation Trust, Gurugram, which the government described as a charitable, non-political, non-profit and non-sectarian organisation working in education. The proposal will now be taken forward through The Haryana Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026. According to the government, the university is intended to expand higher education opportunities for young people and strengthen private-sector participation in Haryana's higher education system.
The proposed university will come up on approximately 5.14 acres of contiguous land in Gurugram. A building with a constructed area of around 1,07,358 square feet is already available at the site.
Of this, approximately 96,600 square feet has been earmarked as instructional space, while 5,400 square feet is for administrative use. Another 5,000 square feet is designated for amenities and 358 square feet for circulation. The sponsoring trust holds the property on a 30-year lease.
The proposal was examined by committees constituted under the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006. The Academic Committee and Finance Committee scrutinised the plan, while another committee headed by the Chairperson of the Haryana State Higher Education Council recommended issuing a Letter of Intent subject to specified conditions. The sponsoring body subsequently submitted a compliance report, which was verified by the committee constituted for the purpose. The Cabinet's approval clears the way for the legislative process required to establish the university.
The Haryana government said the proposed university forms part of its wider effort to expand higher education infrastructure and increase the number of opportunities available to students. It also linked the decision to the objectives of the National Education Policy, 2020, which envisages raising the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to 50 per cent.
The two Cabinet decisions address different aspects of Haryana's social infrastructure — easing conditions for expanding neighbourhood healthcare facilities while adding capacity to the state's higher education sector.