State eyes Rs 500 crore from Centre to boost higher edn

The wish to utilise ‘available’ resources in the field of higher education may prompt the State Government to seek up to Rs 500 crore under the Union Government’s Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme. Strict conditions of eligibility, however, may prove a deterrent.

The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has proposed RUSA, on the lines of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). The scheme will especially seek to achieve, in a planned manner, ‘access, equity and quality’ in higher education.

Experts, however, have a word of caution, saying the State should read the fine print and conditions laid down in the RUSA draft before agreeing to the proposal. The scheme, it is believed, can improve the standards of education in the country. Importantly, the Centre will contribute a major part towards the capacity building of universities. This will be in contrast to the existing mechanism in which most institutes of higher learning are managed completely by state governments.

The RUSA draft says the funding pattern for Karnataka will be in the ratio of 65:35, with the Centre contributing the larger chunk. For aided institutes, the ratio will be 50:50. The funding will be spread across two five-year plans — 12th and 13th.

If informed sources are to be believed, the Department of Higher Education is eager to make use of the funding so that state-run universities and colleges can get more facilities. The scheme is expected to help the State which does not have enough money to spend on higher education. At present, it is holding discussions with universities and colleges to identify viable projects that can fetch funding under RUSA.

“We expect at least Rs 500 crore from the Centre under RUSA over the next five years,” according to Rajneesh Goel, Principal Secretary, Higher Education. RUSA funds have been sought for such projects as upgrading infrastructure, starting new courses and research facilities, etc. The projects will be vetted by the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC).

At the same time, the RUSA draft may undergo some changes. Well-placed sources in the KSHEC say that the strict conditions laid down by the MHRD may discourage the State from even considering joining the scheme. Of particular concern is the pre-condition that the State should promote one university for every 100 colleges. That means, Karnataka will have to establish a whopping 350 universities in proportion to its 3,500 colleges. At present, there are just 18 state-run universities, excluding the RGUHS, the UAS and the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University.

Another strict condition pertains to filling staff vacancies. To be eligible for RUSA, Karnataka will have to fill at least 85 vacancies in the existing universities. The State will risk losing entire RUSA funding if there is more than 15-percent vacancy in the universities.

Meeting this condition will not be easy either as the State has managed to fill just 50 percent vacancies. The third strict condition requires the State to commit 35 per cent of the funding before the Centre releases its share. A senior government official says the State’s current financial situation is simply not sound enough to make a commitment.