State to get Rs 10,000 crore for higher education

Karnataka is going to reap rich benefits under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande said on Thursday. The minister said under the RUSA, one of the flagship programmes of the UPA, Karnataka would get about Rs. 10,000 crore of additional financial assistance from the Centre over the next 10 years. The programme aims to increase the country’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the present 19.5 per cent to 32 per cent by the end of the 13th five year plan. “While Rs. 2,500 crore is expected to be received at the end of the 12th plan, Rs. 7,500 crore will flow into the state at the end of the 13th plan,” he said. The minister said the Centre would shoulder  65 per cent of the expenditure and the remaining 35 per cent would be borne by the state. He said the RUSA has a holistic development agenda to improve access, equity and excellence in higher education institutions by improving learning outcomes, employability of graduates and more. According to Deshpande, the total funding pattern would be based on certain norms and the outcome of funds received in the previous years. “Government and private aided higher educational institutions, including universities, autonomous colleges, degree colleges and polytechnics are eligible to get the benefit,” he said. Disclosing that Karnataka is one of the 12 early states, which are willing to bring reforms in the higher education sector, he said the funds can be used for conversion of cluster of colleges and upgradation of autonomous colleges to universities. “We have already appointed a special officer to monitor the RUSA,” he said. According to Deshpande, the Ministry of Human Resource Development stipulated 100 affiliated colleges per university. “Karnataka with its present strength of over 3,300 colleges can establish another 15 universities. The state will set up 20 model colleges in 20 educationally backward districts,” he said. The minister said the RUSA will also make an effort to fill up vacant teaching posts in schools and colleges. “Karnataka has five academic staff colleges and these will be upgraded at a cost of Rs. 10 crore each,” he said. According to him, the government plans to establish a state assessment and accreditation council as there are many higher educational institutions to be assessed and accredited. Speaking to Express, Principal Secretary Rajneesh Goel said earlier, the state used to get a meager amount of around Rs. 3-5 crore per year from the Centre for the higher education sector. Pallam Raju to open meet HRD Minister Pallam Raju will inaugurate a one-day national conference of higher education ministers on RUSA here on Monday, Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande said on Thursday. On the possibilities of the participation of Pallam Raju, who had submitted his resignation to the Cabinet to protest the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, he expressed confidence that he (Pallam Raju) would participate in the conference. Source: Education News