Universities will now have to compete for funds

Mumbai: Bagging grants from the Centre will require universities and colleges to compete amongst themselves. Facilities given to students, teacher absenteeism, laboratories, libraries, placements held, will all matter for getting grants.

The Cabinet cleared the second phase of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA) on Wednesday with a new mandate, “grants to be given on challenge mode”. The scheme that was first launched at the start of the XII five-year plan to revitalise state institutes will be extended till 2020 and it proposed an expenditure of Rs 9,604 crore.

To improve the quality of state universities, a new component ‘Enhancing Quality and Excellence in select State Universities’ will support 10 state varsities (3.51 and above in NAAC score) will be supported with Rs 100 crore each. Similarly, to improve the quality of colleges a new component Enhancing Quality and Excellence in Autonomous colleges’ will support 70 colleges (3.51 and above in NAAC score) with Rs 5 crores each.


In addition, 70 degree colleges will be set up by giving Rs 12 crore each and 75 colleges will be granted Rs 4 crore each and upgraded to model degree colleges.