Govt defreezes grant for 3 varsities

After a decade,the state government today defreezed the annual grants for three state universities Lucknow University...

After a decade,the state government today defreezed the annual grants for three state universities Lucknow University,Sampoornan and Sanskrit University and Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth,both at Varanasi.

The Lucknow University will now get Rs 36 crore as against the present Rs 22.85 crore. The grants of the universities were frozen after the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commissions recommendations in 1998-99,leading to a financial crunch in the universities.

With the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission,while the expenditure of the universities has increased,the universities were still charging the tuition fee at the rate applicable in 1995.

The grants were frozen as the state government was facing acute fiscal stress following the huge additional burden caused by the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission. The government also had to cut down on its non-planned expenditure.

The Cabinet also approved the draft,UP Privately Funded Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Ordinance,2009.

Under the ordinance,the promoter of a private university will have to make a commitment for opening a minimum of four faculties and conducting research in all the faculties.

It provides for a minimum 50-acre area for setting up the university. The promoter will set up a corpus fund of Rs 10 crore which will be hypothecated to the state government and will be deposited in a nationalised bank.

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The state government will also conduct the evaluation of the private university by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

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