Chhattisgarh is among seven other ‘low income States’ as defined by Central Government which had been chosen for initiation of the Third Phase of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP).
The focus states are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh besides three Hill States mainly Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand), eight North-Eastern States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) and Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, officials informed.
Notably, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal for initiation of the TEQIP.
The Project will be implemented in the country as a ‘Central Sector Scheme’ with total project outlay of Rs 3,600 crore. However, the project would be initiated with a cost of Rs 2,660 crore, with the possibility of additional financing of Rs 940 crore at later stage.
Out of the Rs 2,660 crore, the Central share will be Rs 1,330 crore and external assistance from the World Bank through International Development Association (IDA) Credit of Rs 1,330 crore ($ 201.50 million as first tranche).
The project will be implemented with the facility of Direct Funds Transfer to the accounts of beneficiary institutes. The project will be initiated in the current year and will be co-terminus with Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) i.e. 2019-20.
An estimated 200 Government/Government aided engineering institutes and Affiliating Technical Universities (ATUs) including the Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) will be selected in the country.
The project will cover all Government/Government aided engineering institutes, ATUs and CFTIs from Focus States/UT. High-performing TEQIP-I/TEQIP-II Government/Government aided institutes/ATUs across the country would be eligible to participate in twinning arrangements for knowledge transfer, exchange of experience, optimizing the use of resources and developing long-term strategic partnerships.
TEQIP commenced in 2003 with World Bank assistance as a long term programme is to be implemented in three phases.