The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), under which, during the 12th Plan period, 80 new universities would be created; 100 new colleges, including professional/ technical colleges would be set up and 54 existing colleges would be converted into model degree colleges.
The 80 new varsities would be created by converting autonomous colleges/colleges in a cluster to State universities. Under Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) aimed at reforming the State higher education system, infrastructure grants would be given to 150 universities and 3,500 colleges to upgrade and fill critical gaps in infrastructure especially libraries, laboratories etc. The RUSA would also support 5,000 faculty positions.
The RUSA would have a financial outlay of `22,855 crore, of which `16,227 crore will be the Central share. In addition, allocation of `1,800 crore in the 12th Plan for the existing scheme Sub-Mission polytechnics would also be subsumed in RUSA.
Thus, the total Central share, including the existing scheme of polytechnics will be `18,027 crore during the 12th Plan. Centre-State funding would be in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and 65:35 for other States and Union Territories.