pm usha upsc::Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are among 14 States and Union Territories which are yet to sign a crucial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Education Ministry, which mandates the implementation of the National Education Policy in order to avail funds worth almost ₹13,000 crore for the next three years, under the Centre’s flagship scheme for State-run higher education.
Officials from several Opposition-ruled States told The Hindu that they have raised concerns about the MoU, given that 40% of the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) budget must be borne by the States themselves, and no extra funds have been earmarked for NEP reforms. The Centre says it holding discussions to iron out differences with dissenting States.
pm usha scheme
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal are among the 14 States and Union Territories which are yet to sign a crucial memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Union Education Ministry, which mandates the implementation of the National Education Policy, 2020 to get funds of almost ₹13,000 crore for the next three years under the Centre’s flagship scheme for State-run higher education institutions.
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) was a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to fund States/UTs institutions, with the vision to attain higher levels of access, equity, and excellence in the State higher education system with greater efficiency, transparency, accountability, and responsiveness.
The first phase of the scheme was launched in 2013 and the second phase was launched in 2018. Now, in the light of the National Education Policy, RUSA scheme has been launched as Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan PM-USHA
pm usha scheme upsc
Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) a centrally sponsored programme, aims to work with 300-plus state universities and its affiliated colleges. Launched in 2013, the PM-USHA aims at providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions. The central funding is based on norms and is outcome dependent. Funds flow from the central ministry through the state governments/union territories before reaching the identified institutions. Funding to states would be made on the basis of the critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would enlist each state’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education.
PM-USHA places greater emphasis on the improvement of the quality of teaching-learning processes in order to produce employable and competitive graduates, post-graduates and PhDs. Spread across two plan periods (XII and XIII), the programme focuses on state higher educational institutions and draws upon the best practices from colleges and universities across the nation.