UGC approves action plan for NE Universities

Agartala, Dec 07 (UNI) The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved the action plan for implementing the strategies chalked out for the Northeastern colleges and universities in the 11th Five Year Plan.

Tripura (Central) University sources said here today that the plan advocated for expansion of education, involving enhancement of the enrolment ratio by five per cent during the plan period by various means, including establishing more universities and colleges, consolidation and strengthening of existing institutions to increase their intake capacity in region.

It also incorporated equity and inclusion for removing social group imbalances, including access to higher education for the deprived marginalised social groups, women minorities, denotified nomadic tribes, physically challenged and economically backward classes and regional imbalances, for instance, universities and colleges in backward area districts, remote border and hilly areas, the sources added.

Besides, the UGC would launch a special drive to establish colleges in 370 educationally backward districts across the country while inter-institutional variations in quality of higher education and methods would be formulated for promoting excellence in higher education.

The plan involved Public Private Participation with regard to funding and collaboration in the field of research, scholarship, professional and skill-based courses as well as regulating the establishment and maintenance of standards in the states' private universities.

The UGC would also consider financing the higher education, including public fundings, private contributions, fees and loan-related issues and resource mobilisation.

UNI