UGC’s XI Plan will focus on educating Women, Underprivileged

The strategy of the XI Plan of the University Grants Commission (UGC) will be towards making education accessible to women and underprivileged, R.P. Kaushik, Convenor, UGC team visiting Bharathiar University, said here on Friday. The UGC had planned to set aside nearly Rs.30,000 crore for disbursement to the various universities in the Plan, Mr. Kaushik said. Special Grants Addressing presspersons, he said colleges having maximum number of girl students, especially those from rural background, wards of daily wage labourers, those from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, minorities, etc., would be favourably considered for special grants. He was with a team of six academicians on a three-day visit to review the performance of the university with respect to the use of the funds allotted by the UGC in the X Plan. The team would also consider the university’s proposal for quantum allocation for the next Plan. Higher Allocation Appreciating the university’s “laudable efforts in implementing certain schemes,” Mr. Kaushik said it was true that the earlier allocation of Rs. 3.5 crore in the X Plan was “meagre.”

“The university’s proposal for the next Plan will be positively considered for a higher allocation. We will be looking at various factors before deciding the quantum of funds. The university’s need in the area of non-formal education (areas other than conventional departments) will be considered. This is a new area being covered by the UGC in the XI Plan,” he added.

He lamented that there were many universities which were not able to fully utilise the allocation under the X Plan due to “various bottlenecks and obstructions.”

Various criteria had been taken into account before laying the guidelines for allocation by the Chairman and other experts of the UGC.

Infrastructure, administration, Vice-Chancellor’s secretariat, student and teacher satisfaction, hostels, sports facilities, medical and other facilities were the main areas that would be examined by the team before they made recommendations to the UGC.

Proposal for Rs. 60 crore

Vice-Chancellor G. Thiruvasagam said he would present a proposal for Rs. 60 crore for the XI Plan. “Between the X and XI Plans many improvements have taken place.

An additional 15 departments have been set up. Many innovative and specialised courses have been introduced. There is no grant from the State government. The UGC has to help us run these courses efficiently,” Mr. Thiruvasagam said.

UGC’s XI Plan will focus on educating Women, Underprivileged

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