Mumbai: Colleges and institutes of the state have been allotted a funding of Rs 340 crores from Rashtriya Uchchatar Shikshan Abhiyan (RUSA), a funding agency of the centre, to improve the quality of higher education. While four colleges of South Mumbai will function as a cluster university, another three colleges of the state are in the waiting list to be declared as universities.
RUSA has agreed to allocate funding of Rs 340 crores to enrich, enhance and improve the state of higher education in various colleges and institutes as per state education minister Vinod Tawde. This funding will be used to enhance education facilities, develop infrastructure, increase courses, improve ranking and grade of colleges.
Institute of Science (lead college), Elphinstone College, Sydenham and Government B.Ed. College, Churchgate will function as a cluster university with the name of Dr Homi Bhabha cluster university. A senior officer of Mumbai University (MU), said, “These colleges can form their own curriculum as they will now have power to function as a university.” The centre has allotted Rs 55 crores for this project. The state had submitted three proposals to RUSA for forming cluster universities in Mumbai.
St Xavier’s College, Fort and and Mithibai College, Vile Parle are on the waiting list to be declared as universities along with Symbiosis College. While Fergusson College, Pune has been declared as a university with an allocated funding of Rs 55 crores by the centre. The state aims to help colleges and universities to improve ranking in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), securing A grade from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and gain better funding from the Centre through RUSA 2.0. A grant of Rs 20 crore will be given for improving infrastructure of around 50 universities and Rs 5 crore for enhancing quality of autonomous colleges which will be benefited by 70 colleges of India. Tawde stated, “Colleges have a chance to receive funding under different criterias as they can submit their applications in June first week for the next round.”