Colleges and universities of Chhattisgarh are getting grants worth crores from PM-USHA scheme. With this, more than 5 lakh students will get modern education facilities.
Raipur. Rapid changes are being seen in the field of higher education in Chhattisgarh. The state has received many important approvals and schemes for the development of higher education by the Central Government during the year 2014 to 2026. Among these, Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) is proving to be an important initiative for the state. Large scale financial assistance is being provided by the Central Government for effective implementation of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), improvement in NAAC grading of universities and colleges, promotion of research and development of modern educational facilities. This scheme is considered to be an advanced and more effective form of the earlier Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).
PM-USHA funding: Grants worth crores to colleges and universities
Under this ambitious scheme, a budget of Rs 12,926.10 crore has been set for the entire country. Chhattisgarh has also received an important part of this budget. Under the scheme, grants ranging from Rs 20 crore to Rs 100 crore per institution are being provided to selected government universities under the Multi-Disciplinary Education and Research University (MERU) model.
At the same time, a grant of up to Rs 5 crore is being given to selected government colleges as project based assistance for strengthening the infrastructure. The financial resources required for the scheme are being borne by the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 60 percent and 40 percent respectively.
Construction of smart classroom and modern lab accelerated
The PM-USHA scheme in the state is not limited to just the announcement, but its implementation is also progressing rapidly. The Higher Education Department of the Government of Chhattisgarh has completed the necessary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Government. Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared by the selected educational institutions and uploaded on the online portal. Along with this, the work of construction of smart classrooms, state-of-the-art laboratories, computer centers and other modern educational facilities is going on at a rapid pace in many colleges and universities.
All 33 districts including Bastar and Surguja are getting benefits
The biggest feature of PM-USHA scheme is its inclusive nature. The benefits of this scheme are reaching all the 33 districts of the state. Especially priority has been given to educational institutions of tribal dominated areas, remote areas, Bastar and Surguja divisions. Apart from this, government colleges of areas with low Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) and aspirational districts like Dhamtari, Gariaband, Mahasamund and other districts have also been included in the scheme. Its objective is to connect educationally backward areas with the mainstream and provide quality education.
More than 5 lakh students will get direct benefit
More than 5 lakh students studying in various government educational institutions of the state are getting the benefit of this ambitious project. Especially the students of rural areas, Scheduled Tribe (ST), Scheduled Caste (SC) and women students are benefiting more from this scheme. Now the youth living in remote forest areas and villages are also getting access to modern education, research facilities and better infrastructure in their own state. With this, students will get high quality education and will also get opportunities for a better future.
The goals of National Education Policy 2020 will be strengthened
Through the PM-USHA scheme, a target has been set to increase the quality of education in the state, encourage research, improve NAAC grading and develop higher education institutions as per national and global standards. Experts believe that this scheme will play an important role in giving a new direction to the higher education scenario of Chhattisgarh in the coming years.