With the deadline coming to an end on October 31, 2013, the Odisha Government has communicated its willingness to implement the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme of the Centre for improvement of the State’s higher education system.
Principal Secretary of Higher Education Department Gagan Kumar Dhal on Wednesday sent a letter of willingness to participate in the RUSA as the proposed scheme is aimed at increasing enrolment in the higher education institutions to 30 per cent by 2020 against the present 12.4 per cent.
All the universities and colleges in the State would be covered under the scheme, said an official of the Department of Higher Education (DoHE). The programme would be funded in the ratio of 65:35 in the State with the Centre contributing 65 per cent of the cost, he said.
The official said Odisha has agreed to fulfil certain prerequisites such as setting up of a State Higher Education Council (SHEC), Preparation of a State Perspective Plan, Annual Plan and Budget Plan for higher education in order to be eligible for funds from the Union Government.
Officials confirm that the expenditure on higher education in the State at present is 0.46 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GSDP). During 2010-11, the GSDP was Rs 1,94, 465 crore and the spending on higher education was 0.68 per cent, which came down to 0.55 per cent in 2011-12 with a GSDP of Rs.2,15,899 crore. It further receded to 0.46 per cent with Rs 2,58,744 crore in 2012-13.
Expressing a commitment of the State Government to hike the expenditure on higher education, Dhal said that by 2016-17, the State Government would raise the expenditure on higher education by 1 per cent of the GSDP. The State Government informed the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development that it is continuing to recruit faculty in colleges and universities to fill up the vacancies.
There is also commitment to bring in administration, accreditation, affiliation, examination and governance reforms in the State and the Government would set up a State Project Directorate of RUSA by January 31, 2014 to implement the massive project.