Lok Sabha Question No. 415 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-22
Subject: Central Universities
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Rajdeep Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 415 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2019

## Central Universities

## *415. DR. RAJDEEP ROY:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  any  special  programmes  are  being  undertaken  for  Central  Universities  of  the North-East for their infrastructural development and encouragement of research programmes; and
- (b) the details of funds sanctioned/utilised by Assam University-Silchar during the last three years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK' )

- (a) to (b):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (b) OF LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 415 FOR 22.07.2019 ASKED BY DR. RAJDEEP ROY REGARDING  CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES.

(a) The  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  has  been  constantly  striving  to develop  a  system  of  higher  education  of  quality  appropriate  to  the  national  needs and aspirations and in tune with global trends. In order to realize this, UGC allocates resources  in  such  a  manner  that  higher  education  system  in  the  country  is streamlined and strengthened along the principles of access & expansion, quality & excellence, equity & inclusion, research & relevance and ICT incorporation.

Further,  in  order  to  encourage  research  and  development  in  the  North-Eastern Universities, UGC  is  implementing  schemes,  awards,  fellowships, chairs  and programmes  under  which  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  institutions  of  higher education as well as faculty members working therein to undertake quality research covering  areas  of  knowledge  across  disciplines.  Some  of  the  initiatives  taken  by UGC for improving quality of Higher Education are as follows:-

- (i) Choice based Credit system (CBCS).
- (ii) Universities with potential for excellence.
- (iii) Centre with potential for excellence in particular area.
- (iv) Special Assistance Programme (SAP).
- (v) Basic Science Research.
- (vi) Major Research Project.
- (vii) Community College
- (viii) Scholarship scheme (ISHAN UDAY) for North-Eastern Region.
- (ix) New methodology of Grading by NAAC.
- (x)  UGC  (Minimum  Standards  and  Procedure  for  award  of  M.Phil/Ph.D Degree) Regulations, 2016.

(xi) UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulation, 2016.

There is  a  special  scholarship  scheme  of  UGC  namely  Ishan  Uday  Scheme.  The objective  of  the  scheme  is  to  provide  financial  assistance  to  selected  candidates belonging only to North Eastern Region for pursuing Under Graduate programmes in General/ Technical/ Professional  Courses  including  Medical  and  Paramedical Courses in recognized Universities/ Institutions/ Colleges in India.

Further,  as  the  maximum  degree  of  endangerment  is  in  tribal  languages,  North Eastern  and  Himalayan  languages,  language  of  numeric  and  coastal  languages. Therefore, UGC has identified these areas for protection of Endangered Languages and is running a scheme called 'Establishment of Center of Endangered Languages' in  Tezpur  University,  Rajiv  Gandhi  University  and  Sikkim  University.  Moreover,  for North Eastern Languages Tezpur University is selected as Cluster University.

For infrastructure development in the higher educational institutions including Central Universities, the Government has set up Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) on  31 st May  2017  as  a  non-profit,  Non  Banking  Financing  Company  (NBFC)  for mobilizing extra budgetary resources for building crucial infrastructure in the higher educational  institutions  including  Central  Universities.  Funds  on  interest  free  loan basis  are  provided  by  HEFA  to  higher  education  institutions  including  Central Universities for acquiring/creation of capital assets including infrastructure, construction of buildings etc.

Tezpur University (Assam), Assam University (Assam) and Rajiv Gandhi University (Arunachal  Pradesh)  have  been  sanctioned  Rs.153.7 1 crores,  Rs.  38.97  crores  & Rs.  66.59  crores  respectively  for  building  infrastructure  of  the  Universities  under HEFA.

(b) The details  of  funds  sanctioned/utilised  by  Assam  University,  Silchar  during the last three years are as follows:

(Rs in Lakhs)

| Year    |   Amount Sanctioned |   Amount Utilised |
|---------|---------------------|-------------------|
| 2016-17 |             8975.51 |            9890.2 |
| 2017-18 |            14241.6  |           13549.3 |
| 2018-19 |             9909.02 |           13774.8 |

In addition to amount sanctioned by UGC, the internal receipts generated by Assam University  during  the  years  2016-17  (Rs.  1212.71  lakhs),  2017-18  (Rs.  1048.74 lakhs) and 2018-19 (Rs. 1195.72 lakhs) were allowed to utilise to cover the deficit of expenditure under recurring grants.

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