Lok Sabha Question No. 2363 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-09
Subject: Access to Higher Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN

## MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2363 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.05.2016

## Access to Higher Education

## 2363. SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that access to higher education of economically poor sections of the country is minimal;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any special strategic/planned efforts are being made by the Government to  ensure  economically  poor  sections  get  cent  per  cent  access  to  higher education;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)  to  (e):      (i)    One  of  the  primary  objectives  of  the  University  Grants  Commission (UGC) is to enable the expansion of quality higher education and to provide increasing access  to  students  from  all  sections  of  the  society.  The  objective  of  qualitative expansion is achieved by financing development of the Central Universities, recognition of  new  State  Universities  and  Colleges  and  regulation  of  private  and  deemed  to  be universities.

(ii) Higher  education  in  India  has  grown  steadily,  reflected  in  the  increase  in  the number  of  Universities/University-level  Institutions  &  Colleges.    While  the  number  of universities has gone up to 740 from a meagre 20 in 1950, the number of colleges has grown from just 500 in 1950 to as many as 40,160 now.

(iii) Government in the recent past has established a number of Central Universities, Indian  Institutes  of  Information  Technology,  Indian  Institutes  of  Management  and National  Institutes  of  Technology.    Government  has  also  set  up  5  Indian  Institutes  of Science Education and Research, 3 Schools of Planning and Architecture and 5 Indian Institutes  of  Information  Technology.  Government  has  also  made  efforts  to  utilize  the residual capacity of existing institutions.

(iv)         UGC has taken special initiatives with regard to promotion of higher education in the North Eastern region. UGC has launched a special programme called Ishan Uday for  improving  the  GER,  promoting  higher  education  and  for  encouraging  children belonging to economically weaker sections of the North Eastern Region (NER).  The scheme provides for 10,000 fresh scholarships every year beginning from 2014-15 for General Degree and Technical and Professional courses, including Medical and Paramedical.

- (v) There is  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  which  provides  full  Interest  Subsidy  for  the period of moratorium on educational loans taken by students from economically weaker sections with annual parental income up to Rs.4.5 lakh, from scheduled banks under the Educational Loan Scheme of the Indian Banks' Association to pursue Technical/Professional  Education  Studies  in  India.    The  details  of  the  Scheme  are available on MHRD website www.mhrd.gov.in.
- (vi) There  is  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  of  Scholarship  for  College  and  University Students. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to meritorious students having annual family income of less than Rs.6 lakh.  The details of the Scheme are available on MHRD website www.mhrd.gov.in.
- (vii) All  India  Council  for  Technical  Education  (AICTE)  has  a  Tuition  Fee  Waiver (TFW)  Scheme  for  sons  &  daughters  of  parents  having  annual  income  of  less  than Rs.6  lakh  from  all  sources  which  is  mandatory  for  all  AICTE  approved  technical institutions  offering  Bachelor  programmes,  Diploma  and  Post  Diploma  programmes. Seats up to a maximum of 5% of sanctioned intake per course shall be available for these admissions.  These seats shall be supernumerary in nature and will be available to  such  courses  in  an  Institute  where  a  minimum  of  30%  of  sanctioned  seats  in  the respective courses are filled up.
- (viii) The  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  has  stated  that  the  Dr. Ambedkar Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme of that Ministry, seeks to provide financial assistance  to  the  EBC  students  studying  at  post-matriculation  stage  having  annual family income of Rs.1 lakh. The details of the scheme are available on www.socialjustice.nic.in.
- (ix) The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has stated that Dr. Ambedkar Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies of the Ministry awards interest subsidy to meritorious OBC and EBC students so as to provide them better  opportunities  for  higher  education  abroad.    The  details  of  the  scheme  are available on www.socialjustice.nic.in.

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