Dr Raj Nehru
In the ancient treatise Arthashastra, sage Kautilya (Chanakya) declared: “In the happiness of his subjects lies the king’s happiness; in their welfare his welfare. He shall not consider as good only that which pleases him, but treat as beneficial to him whatever pleases his subjects.” This timeless principle highlights that true governance is not about personal power or fleeting gains, but about building institutions that uplift every citizen, foster prosperity, and ensure justice. History shows that when leaders embrace this ethos, shifting from drift and discretion to direction, discipline and delivery, societies can undergo profound transformation, turning potential into progress and stagnation into sustained advancement.
Haryana’s recent journey reflects this timeless ideal of people-centric governance. For a long period, despite its natural advantages, fertile land, strategic location and proximity to the national capital, the State was unable to fully translate its potential into broad-based prosperity. Economic growth remained concentrated in a few urban centres such as Gurugram, while large parts of rural Haryana continued to struggle with unreliable electricity, limited employment opportunities and weak public services. Young people often felt disillusioned by opaque recruitment processes, farmers faced uncertainty due to erratic infrastructure and ordinary citizens encountered an administration that appeared distant and inaccessible. Rising public debt, driven largely by non-productive expenditure, added to fiscal pressures, while social challenges, such as a critically low sex ratio at birth of around 871 in 2014 and gaps in healthcare outreach, reflected deeper structural weaknesses. Job creation failed to keep pace with aspirations and repeated allegations of favouritism gradually eroded public trust. In essence, this period was marked by abundant resources but fragile institutions. Growth without inclusion and promise without effective governance.
This backdrop of untapped potential called for a renewed leadership vision rooted in integrity, transparency and unwavering commitment to public welfare. Since the BJP assumed power in 2014, the successive leadership of Manohar Lal Khattar and Nayab Singh Saini has guided the administration with a clear, consistent purpose, to deliver honest, accountable governance where merit prevails, corruption finds no place and every citizen’s progress becomes the true measure of success. Manohar Lal’s foundational tenure, shaped by a lifelong dedication to selfless service, ethical conduct and zero tolerance for favouritism, established transparency as the cornerstone of administration, as he often emphasized that people’s trust in zero corruption and merit-based opportunities is the government’s greatest strength. Building seamlessly on this foundation, Nayab Singh Saini has carried forward and strengthened the same ethos, prioritizing good governance, transparent recruitment, timely service delivery and empathy in public administration, while reinforcing that public service must remain the top priority for every official. Together, their aligned vision has translated into deliberate, enduring actions, championing transparency across all facets of government, institutionalizing merit-based systems, especially in recruitment and opportunities, leveraging technology for citizen-centric services like the SARAL portal and ensuring zero tolerance for injustice or discrimination. These foundational principles have restored direction to the state, rebuilt deep trust among youth and investors and ignited a sustained phase of inclusive, outcome-driven development across Haryana.
A comprehensive diagnostic assessment, including the 2015 White Paper on State Finances, revealed deep-rooted challenges at the end of the Congress decade, declining share of the state’s own revenue (from 89.5% in 2004-05 to 80.4% in 2013-14), rising dependence on central grants, chronic losses in power DISCOMs (part of national losses exceeding ?67,000 crore in 2013-14), opaque and litigation-prone recruitment, concentrated industrial growth around Gurugram and weak social indicators such as a sex ratio at birth of 871 in 2014.
The BJP-led government, under the successive leadership of Sh. Manohar Lal Khattar and Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, responded with systematic, institution-driven reforms that directly addressed these pain points and delivered superior outcomes. Transparent, merit-based recruitment through bodies like Haryana Staff Selection Commission more than doubled government job creation, from approximately 86,000 positions in the 2004-14 period to over 1.43 lakh between 2014 and 2024, while reducing litigation and restoring youth trust. Today, if one interacts with young government employees across districts, one repeatedly hears a quiet but powerful sentiment, for the first time, selections were purely merit-based, without political patronage or financial inducements. Many recount that the absence of intermediaries and bribes restored not only trust in the system but also dignity in public employment.
The BJP Government was also successful in creating 24.35 lac jobs over 2015-2025.During this period, the total workforce increased from 86.34 lac to 110.69 lac, implying creation of approx. 24.3 lac jobs. The higher earning workers expanded significantly as the number of those earning above Rs 25000/per month doubled, both amongst salaried and self-employed. One significant change that occurred was that in the earlier decade, workers were leaving agriculture rapidly and involuntarily, which slowed down during 2015-25 drastically, meaning labour movement became structural and opportunity driven and not distress driven. Over the last one decade, Haryana government has achieved significant milestones in the agriculture sector by prioritising farmer welfare, income stability and sustainable practices. Haryana stands out to be only state procuring all 24 crops grown by farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) benefitting more than 12 Lac farmers. Schemes like Bhavantar Barpai, Mera Pani Meri Virasat, e-Kshatipurti and many other schemes have been introduced to support farmers in improving and doubling their farm income. In addition to this issuance of Soil Health cards, Fasal Bima Yojana, Krishi Sichai Yojana have further built the confidence of farmers in agriculture related work in Haryana.
The BJP-led Government has also made substantial and strategic investments in the education sector. More than 16 new universities have been announced, including several specialised institutions focused on skill development, sports, sanskrit studies, design and ayurveda. As a deliberate policy initiative, the government ensured that colleges are established within a 20-kilometre radius and schools within a 10-kilometre radius, significantly improving physical access to education. This expanded educational infrastructure has made learning more convenient and inclusive, leading to a steady rise in the Gross Enrolment Ratio to 33% and strengthening the State’s human capital base. For students from rural and semi-urban areas, the expansion of colleges within accessible distances has altered life trajectories. Parents often note that daughters who might earlier have dropped out after school are now pursuing higher education without relocating far from home, reducing social barriers as much as financial ones. To further empower the women in Haryana, Lado Lakshmi and Har Ghar Har Grahni schemes have also been launched
Economically, the state’s GSDP at current prices expanded more than threefold, from around Rs 3.99 lakh crore in 2013-14 to over Rs 12.16 lakh crore in 2024-25, accompanied by broad-based growth through expressways, industrial corridors and diversified investments beyond Gurugram. Over the past decade, sustained efforts by HSIIDC and the State Government have positioned Haryana as a preferred investment destination for leading global and national companies. Major investments include Rs 18,000 crore by Maruti Suzuki at IMT Kharkhoda, Rs 7,197 crore by ATL Battery at IMT Sohna, Rs 1,466 crore by Suzuki Motorcycle at IMT Kharkhoda, Rs 1,140 crore by Grasim Industries in Panipat, and Rs 1,389 crore by Flipkart in Manesar. Leading groups such as Toyota and Uno Minda have also expanded their presence in the State. Additional investments by Uflex (Rs 395 crore), Amul (Rs 310 crore), and Faiveley Transport (Rs 201 crore) further reflect growing investor confidence. Between October 2019 and March 2024 alone, over 3,100 industrial plots were allotted, creating potential for investments exceeding Rs 50,000 crore and significantly strengthening Haryana’s industrial growth and employment base. The Per capita income more than doubled and today remains around 70% higher than the national average, reflecting sustained and broad-based growth. At the same time, the share of central grants in State revenues has declined from about 11% in 2013-14 to 6.45%, reflecting improved fiscal capacity, strengthened internal systems and growing self-reliance. Also, as per annual report 0f 2014-15 , GOI, Haryana had around 5.20 lac MSME enterprises. As per latest Udyam and UAP report, the MSME registrations has crossed 20 Lac, creating more than 38 lac new jobs.
In the power sector, targeted reforms, loss reduction measures and infrastructure upgrades turned loss-making DISCOMs profitable, contributing to the national sector’s historic shift from losses of over Rs 25,000 crore in FY24 to a collective Profit After Tax of Rs 2,701 crore in FY25. During this period 2015-25, the combined AT&C losses of Haryana Discoms came down from around 30% to 10%. Haryana achieved near-universal 24×7 electricity supply across more than 5,800 villages. Social transformation was equally striking, sustained enforcement under schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao raised the sex ratio at birth from 871 in 2014 to 923 in 2025 (the highest in five years), while medical education capacity surged from roughly 700 MBBS seats to over 2,185. Anganwadi workers, ASHAs and frontline officials often observe that conversations around the birth of a girl child have visibly changed. What was once whispered with hesitation is now openly celebrated in many villages indicating an attitudinal shift that statistics on sex ratio only partially capture.
Governance was digitised through the SARAL portal, delivering 600+ services online and minimising corruption. These coordinated strategies, anchored in fiscal prudence (with own revenue significantly enhanced and deficits kept within FRBM limits), technology leverage and outcome accountability, restored order, converted structural weaknesses into strengths and set Haryana on a trajectory of inclusive, resilient progress.
Unlike the earlier period of fiscal stress, the BJP era has focused on sustainable public finance. State’s own revenue has tripled, significantly reducing dependence on Central grants. Debt levels, while higher in absolute terms, remain within prudential limits, indicating borrowing for asset creation rather than consumption. Fiscal deficit has consistently stayed within FRBM norms. This fiscal discipline has enabled higher capital expenditure without jeopardising stability.
Haryana’s SDG indicators and composite scores have also improved, from 55 in 2018 to 72 in 2024, reflecting overall improvement of 17 points, with significant gains in health, education, sanitation, clean energy and gender equity. Ayushman Bharat and CHIRAYU now provide health insurance cover to over half the population, significantly reducing out-of-pocket health expenses. For many families, the assurance that illness will not push them into debt has quietly transformed attitudes toward preventive care and institutional treatment. Infant mortality has declined, institutional deliveries are near-universal in many districts and ODF status has been achieved statewide.
Haryana today also hosts a vibrant startup ecosystem with nearly 10,000 startups, cutting across districts and sectors. This reflects not just economic growth but aspiration, innovation and confidence among the youth.
Haryana’s transformation reflects a shift from personality-driven and discretionary governance to an institution-led, transparent and performance-oriented development model. Anchored in ethical leadership, merit-based systems, fiscal discipline and technology-enabled service delivery, the State has strengthened public trust while accelerating economic and social progress. Systematic reforms in recruitment, power, education, healthcare and industrial policy have expanded employment, attracted large-scale investment, improved human capital, and enhanced financial sustainability. By combining integrity in administration with strategic infrastructure and social sector investments, Haryana has evolved into a resilient, inclusive and future-ready growth model that balances economic expansion with social equity and long-term stability.
(The author is Director General: Swarn Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management & OSD to CM)
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