Govt approves four fold increase in RUSA 2.0 funding; New Model Colleges in Aspirational Districts

NEW DELHI, MARCH 22: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has increased the outlay for funding under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) phase II by four-fold by allocating Rs. 7101.72 Crore, to be given over a period of three years.

Continuing with its mission of improving the access and quality of state universities 70 colleges will get a first-time grant of Rs 5 crore each, totaling Rs 350 Crore for quality improvement initiatives.

The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar making the announcement tweeted, “750 colleges will get Rs 2 crore each, totaling Rs 1500 crore for up-gradation of infrastructures like research labs, library, etc. For transformation of education, Government will give Rs 4 crore each to 75-degree colleges for upgrading them to model degree colleges.”

Under the Scheme there will be more impetus on the improving access to higher education in educationally backward districts by establishing eight new professional colleges in states like UP, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh with a grant Rs 26 crore each totaling to Rs 208 crore.

The RUSA 2.0 seeks to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 30 percent by 2020, by the creation of new model degree colleges and professional colleges. The funding will also be given to enhancing quality and Excellence in 10 select State universities and 70 autonomous colleges, providing infrastructural support to 50 universities and 750 colleges, etc.

The 10 universities with NAAC accreditation of 3.51 & above (A++ grade) will be selected and get 100 Crore each for quality initiatives.

Javadekar further tweeted, “In Aspirational Districts, which have lagged behind in education, Narendra Modi government is granting 70 new model degree colleges with an allocation of Rs 12 crore each, totaling to Rs 840 crore.”

The Aspirational Districts, identified by the NITI Aayog will be given priority for the purpose of such an intervention is to improve access and equity through improved enrolment and retention.

20 states will get Rs 50 crore each, totaling to Rs 1000 crore, to create research clusters in the state. These states will be selected in challenge mode.

There have been some minor changes in the funding pattern as the project cost in the public funded institutions for all sub-components is shared between the Central Government and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern States, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, 60:40 for other States and UTs with Legislature and 100:0 for UTs without Legislature.

New Interventions

Two schemes of the UGC i.e. 'Universities with Potential for Excellence' (UPE) and 'Colleges with Potential for Excellence' (CPE) subsumed as the components of 'Enhancing Quality and Excellence in select State Universities' and 'Enhancing Quality and Excellence in Autonomous Colleges'. These targeted interventions in well-performing State Public Universities and Autonomous Colleges are meant to bring about significant quality enhancement and improvement in teaching and research.

Component of Research and Innovation will focus on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and employability by the creation of 20 Research Clusters in the States. These will be on competitive and challenge mode and will largely emerge from Universities in collaboration with the National Laboratories under D/o Science & Technology/D/o Bio-Technology and industry.