Bhubaneswar: The Union government has approved Rs 676.70 crore for infrastructural development of various universities and colleges in Odisha under Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA), state Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters here, Suraj said that of Rs 676.70 crore, the state would bear Rs 268 crore (40 per cent) while the Centre would provide the remaining Rs 408.70 crore (60 per cent).
The fund has been approved under different components, including Multi Disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU), Grants to Strengthen Universities (GSU), Grants to Strengthen Colleges (GSC) and Gender Inclusion and Equity Initiatives (GIEI), and Management Monitoring Evaluation and Research (MMER), he said.
He said Rs 100 crore each has been approved for Berhampur University; Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada; Ravenshaw University, Cuttack; and Sambalpur University, under the MERU component of the scheme.
Similarly, under the GSU component, Vikram Dev University, Jeypore, Odisha State Open University, Sambalpur, Kalahandi University, Bhawanipatna, Rajendra University, Bolangir and Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur would get Rs 20 crore each for development of infrastructure, Suraj said.
The education ministry has also sanctioned Rs 5 crore each for 24 colleges under the GSC component, while five districts — Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Nabarangpur and Sambalpur — would get Rs 10 crore each for carrying out gender inclusion and equity initiatives, he added.
Under the PM-USHA scheme, provisions have also been made for the development of classrooms, laboratories, libraries and hostels and making the infrastructure accessible to persons with disabilities, he said.
Besides, the higher educational institutions can procure software and hardware to enhance digital education, the minister said.
To attract more women students, the higher educational institutes can offer skill development, career buildings and self-defence training under the gender inclusion and equity initiative component of the central scheme.
With the implementation of the scheme, the NAAC ranking of the higher educational institutes would improve in coming years, he hoped.
The minister said that the government is working to implement the National Education Policy 2020 to make the educational institutions multi-disciplinary and students compatible with global standards.
Meanwhile, Berhampur University vice chancellor Geetanjali Dash said, “We are happy as the central government approved the much-needed project for overall development of the university.”
“The fund will help the university have better infrastructure and increase research output, putting the university on the map as a top-tier institution,” she said, adding, the fund will be utilised over the next five years.
Describing MERU as a big gift from the central government to Berhampur University, which will celebrate its foundation day January 2, local MP Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy thanked Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for giving his nod to the release of much-needed fund to the university.
“We hope the university will use the fund to meet the goals in research, ranking and infrastructure and to make the institute competitive on the international level,” the MP said.
PTI
