Lok Sabha Question No. 2079 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-09
Subject: Inadequate Funding to Universities
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2079

ANSWERED ON- 09/12/2024

## INADEQUATE FUNDING TO UNIVERSITIES

## 2079. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to ensure universities uphold their objectives  of  academic  excellence  and  autonomy  instead  of  becoming  tools  of political control;
- (b) the reasons for releasing inadequate funds to Universities causing stipend cuts and poor facilities for students;
- (c) the details of funds allocated and released during the last ten years;
- (d)  the  justification  for  imposing  declarations  on  students  banning  protests  and requiring disclosure of health conditions, violating basic human rights; and
- (e) the measures to address diplomatic fallout caused by the mistreatment of foreign faculty and resignations of eminent academics in globally significant institutions?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR.SUKANTA MAJUMDAR )

(a) to (e): Education being in the Concurrent List, enhancing the quality of education is the responsibility of both the Central and State Governments. Various schemes/projects/  programmes  run  by  the  Ministry  have  been  aligned  with  the National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020.  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  is mandated to determine, promote and maintain the standards of higher education in the  Higher  Education  Institutions  (HEIs).  Recognizing  that  autonomy  is  pivotal  to promoting and institutionalizing excellence in higher education and that the regulatory framework  needs  to  facilitate  better  performing  institutions  towards excellence in higher education, UGC has notified the following Regulations: -

-  The University  Grants  Commission  (Categorization  of  Universities  (only)  for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations, 2018.
-  The University Grants Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status Upon Colleges  and  Measures  for  Maintenance  of  Standards  in  Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2023

The  Ministry  has  launched  the  third  phase  of  Rashtriya  Uchchatar  Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) as Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) in June 2023 with an outlay of Rs. 12926.10 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26 to cater to needs of educationally unserved/ underserved areas. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme  aimed  at  funding  specific  State  government  universities  and  colleges, including in the rural areas, so as to improve their quality by ensuring their conformity to  prescribed  norms  and  standards.  Under  PM-USHA,  priority  is  given  to  Focus Districts.  The focus districts  are  identified  by  the  concerned States/  UTs based on various  criteria  including  low  Gross  Enrolment  Ratio,  Gender  Parity,  population proportion and enrolment proportion for females, transgenders, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, Aspirational/ Border Area/Left Wing Extremism prone district, etc.

Ministry  of  Education  has  spent  Rs.  3,28,881.56  crores  for  improvement  and maintenance to higher education institutions (Central Universities, State Universities, IIT, IIM etc.) of various states during the last ten years from financial year 2014-15 to 2023-24.

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