Centre to set up model colleges in educationally backward districts - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday approved the introduction of a new Scheme to provide central assistance for setting up of a model degree college in each of the identified 374 educationally backward districts. The districts the where Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education is less than the national GER are marked as the educationally backward districts. The CCEA decided to provide assistance to the extent of one third of the capital cost for establishment of each college, limited to Rs.2.67 crore, for Special Category States, the Central share shall be 50 percent of the capital cost limited to Rs.4 crore for each college. The land shall be provided free of cost by the State Governments. The balance amount of the capital cost, and the recurring cost of running these new colleges shall be met by the concerned State Governments. In his Independence speech in 2007, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced, inter alia, that "We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrolment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts". The XI Five Year Plan document as approved by the National Development Council envisages, among other things, that 370 new Degree Colleges will be established in Districts with low Gross Enrolment Ratio based on careful selection.