The Karnataka higher education department has sought more funds for the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) during the current academic year and also in the coming years.
Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan brought this to the notice of the chief minister during a review meeting of the department here on Tuesday.
According to department sources, the minister has requested the chief minister for allocation of additional funds for the implementation of various programmes under NEP, which includes training of teachers, digitalisation of classrooms and distribution of tabs for students.
"Last year, we distributed tabs to 1.5 lakh students. This year, the number of students seeking admissions to undergraduate courses is increasing at least by 50,000. Considering this, we have requested Rs 220 crore for distribution of tabs for first year undergraduate students," the sources said.
The higher education department needs Rs 67 crore to train teachers under NEP.
Also read: Nothing wrong if it's RSS agenda: Basavaraj Bommai defends NEP
"The training for teachers will be provided at the Higher Education Academy in Dharwad. Without training the teachers, implementation of NEP is difficult," an official said.
"We have informed the chief minister about the need for Rs 98 crore to convert 6,000 classrooms into smart classrooms. Currently, around 2,500 classrooms have been upgraded as smart classrooms," he said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is said to have responded positively to all the demands placed by the higher education department and directed the officials to take all necessary measures for the effective implementation of NEP.
Also, Ashwath Narayan has sought Rs 2 crore each for the newly set-up universities, including Maharani Cluster University, Nrupatunga University, Bengaluru North University and Bengaluru Central University.
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