9 varsities in state get Rs 20cr infra grants each

Mumbai University, SNDT Are Among The Beneficiaries

Nine universities in the state will receive block grants of Rs 20 crore each to spruce up their infrastructure under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) programme. The two universities in the city--Mumbai University and SNDT University--are among the nine varsities that will receive the grants.

The project approval board cleared proposals worth Rs 251 crore, including a plan to set up a cluster uni versity in Mumbai. The state's proposal for another cluster university in Aurangadad was rejected. In the city, four blue-chip institutions--Elphinstone, Government Law College, Government BEd College, led by the Institute of Science--will form the cluster university.

The other universities which will each get infrastructure grants are Savitribai Phule University , Pune; North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon; Shivaji University, Kolhapur; Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maha raj Nagpur University; Swami Ramanand Tirth University , Nanded; Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University , Aurangabad; and Solapur University , Solapur.

Similar infrastructure grants will be given to five colleges--Government College Of Education, Aurangabad; Vasantarao Naik College of Arts and Social Sciences, Nagpur; Government Institute Of Science, Nagpur; Government Science College, Gadchiroli and Rajaram College, Kolhapur. Each of these colleges will get Rs 2 crore.

The board also approved Rs 6 crore for setting up an academic staff college in the city to train academic faculty and administrative and support staff.

On its part, the state government has agreed to make active the state higher education council, headed by the chief minister. According to RUSA guidelines, Maharashtra will open a RUSA account to transfer initial grants that have been disbursed, along with the state share. “The state must report, at least, 75% of expenditure of the grants and submit utilization certificate for the grants,“ said an officer. Maharashtra must provide a plan with a set timeline for institutions to seek NAAC accreditation, along with information on the current accreditation status of all state institutions.

The government will also up its spending on higher education from the current 0.45% of the gross state domestic product (GSDP) to 0.68% of the GSDP . In 2012-13, Maharashtra spent 0.38% of GSDP on higher education.

Source | Times of India | 7 September 2015