UGC To Evaluate 168 Universities' Performance

New Delhi, Aug 6 (UNI) Performance of 168 universities eligible for grants is being evaluated by expert teams, which have already visited 30 of them, the Human Resource Development Ministry reported today.

The University Grants Commission which constituted the teams with the onset of the eleventh five year plan has also scheduled their visits to the remaining campuses, a Ministry statement said.

It said the exercise is done every five years to see how well universities have implemented the previous plan programmes and assess their requirements for the next plan.

It said the Commission proposed to double General Development Grants from the X plan level for Central, State and Deemed Universities.

During the XI plan, development assistance for such purposes as Building, Campus Development, Staff, Library and Equipment will be provided under the General Plan Development Grant, it said.

Other activty thus covered: Innovative Research, New Extension and Outreach Programmes, Information Communication Technology, Health Centre, Student Amenities and Jubilee Grants, it said.

The Commission has decided that General Plan Development Grants to each university be made available during the XI plan from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2012 on the basis of outlays determined, it said.

The Commission will also merge with General Development Grants 16 schemes, including Travel, Seminars and Workshops, Publication, Visiting Professor or Fellow, Day Care Centres, Adventure Sports and Development of Sports Infrastructure and Equipment.

The other schemes: Universities in Backward or Border Areas, Young Universities and Old Universities, Instrumentation Maintenance Facility, Women's Hostels, Basic facilities for Women, Faculty Improvement Programmes, Equal Opportunity Cell, Coaching for Backward or Minority students , Career and Counselling Cells and Facilities for Differently Abled Persons.

The allocation for these schemes would be made at the beginning of the XI plan based on the recommendations of the Visiting Committees, it said.

No separate application for each year of XIth Five Year plan is required for the 16 merged schemes, it said.

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