Chandigarh, July 29 -- The council of ministers on Tuesday approved the Haryana State Commission for Minorities Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to establish a statutory state commission for minorities to safeguard the rights and interests of minority communities, monitor the implementation of constitutional and legal safeguards, and promote their social, educational, economic and cultural development, an official spokesperson said. The commission will comprise a chairperson, five non-official members and a secretary appointed by the government. The chairperson and members will hold office for a three-year term, with provisions relating to resignation, removal and filling up of vacancies incorporated in the legislation. The panel will examine the implementation of constitutional and statutory safeguards available to minority communities and recommend measures for their effective enforcement. It will monitor government policies, welfare schemes and programmes relating to minorities, conduct studies and research, assess the representation of minorities in government services, recommend measures for their welfare and development, and promote communal harmony and national integration in the state. The cabinet also approved a proposal regarding exemption on stamp duty and registration fee under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0. The official spokesperson said the current exemption on stamp duty and registration fee under PMAY-U 2.0 related to dwelling units up to 60 sq metres registered under PMAY-U 2.0 for EWS beneficiaries. The concession is a targeted measure to facilitate affordable home ownership for economically weaker households under this time-bound flagship scheme, the spokesperson said. As per the proposal conveyance deeds executed for such dwelling units will have a nominal registration fee of Rs.500 per deed. Furthermore, the stamp duty under Article 23-A of Schedule 1-A of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, as applicable to Haryana, has also been reduced to a nominal amount of Rs.500 per deed. The council also approved the draft of a bill to amend the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006, for the establishment of a private university, Kusum International University, Rewari. An official spokesperson said that, to accommodate the unprecedented growth of students in higher education and to cross the target of a 50% gross enrolment ratio (GER) as per the National Education Policy, 2020, the government needs to double the number of institutions at all levels by 2030....