Bhubaneswar: The Union Ministry of Education headed by Dharmendra Pradhan has approved Rs 676.70 crore for infrastructural development of various universities and colleges in the State under Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA),
Out of the total fund, Rs 408.7 crores will come from the Central Government, while Rs 268 crores will be contributed by the state, said Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj during a press conference held here today.
The fund has been approved under different components, including Multi Disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU), Grants to Strengthen Universities (GSU), Grants to Strengthen Colleges (GSC) and Gender Inclusion and Equity Initiatives (GIEI), and Management Monitoring Evaluation and Research (MMER), he said.
He said Rs 100 crore each has been approved for Berhampur University; Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada; Ravenshaw University, Cuttack; and Sambalpur University, under the MERU component of the scheme.
Similarly, under the GSU component, Vikram Dev University, Jeypore, Odisha State Open University, Sambalpur, Kalahandi University, Bhawanipatna, Rajendra University, Bolangir and Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur would get Rs 20 crore each for development of infrastructure, Suraj said.
The education ministry has also sanctioned Rs 5 crore each for 24 colleges under the GSC component, while five districts — Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Nabarangpur and Sambalpur — would get Rs 10 crore each for carrying out gender inclusion and equity initiatives, he added.
Under the PM-USHA scheme, provisions have also been made for the development of classrooms, laboratories, libraries and hostels and making the infrastructure accessible to persons with disabilities, he said.
Besides, the higher educational institutions can procure software and hardware to enhance digital education, the Minister said.
To attract more women students, the higher educational institutes can offer skill development, career buildings and self-defence training under the gender inclusion and equity initiative component of the central scheme.
The minister said that the government is working to implement the National Education Policy 2020 to make the educational institutions multi-disciplinary and students compatible with global standards.
This funding aims to strengthen the infrastructure and enhance human resource development, research and skill-building initiatives in universities and colleges across Odisha. It also seeks to promote employable education for students, he said.
Odisha’s universities and colleges will utilize this grant for setting up smart classrooms, laboratories, computer labs, academic buildings and libraries. Additionally, advanced research infrastructure will be developed to support high-quality education, he added.