Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, RUSA is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, RUSA is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme

The Ministry of Human Resource Development is the nodal agency administering the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) program. It receives the budget targets of participating States, reviews/ analyzes them and then gives approvals and makes disbursements.

RUSA is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (C.S.S.), launched in 2013 aims at providing strategic funding to eligible state Higher Educational Institutions. The Central Funding (in the ratio of 65:35 for General Category States and 90:10 for Special Category States) would be norm based and outcome dependent. The Funding would flow from the Central Ministry through the State Governments/ Union Territories to the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified Institutions. The Funding to States would be made on the basis of critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would describe each State’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in Higher Education.

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Vision:

To attain higher levels of access, equity and excellence in the State higher education system with greater efficiency, transparency, accountability and responsiveness.

Key Features:

• Norm-based and performance-based funding.
• Commitment by States and institutions to certain academic, administrative and governance reforms will be a precondition for receiving funding.
• Funds would flow from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (M.H.R.D.) to universities and colleges, through the State governments.
• Funding to the States would be made on the basis of critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans (S.H.E.Ps). S.H.E.P. should address each State’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence.
• Each institution will have to prepare an Institutional Development Plan (I.D.P.) for all the components listed under the Scheme. It will be aggregated at the State level, after imposing a super layer of State relevant components into the S.H.E.P..
• State higher education councils (S.H.E.C.) will have to undertake planning and evaluation, in addition to other monitoring and capacity building functions.
• S.H.E.C. will be the key institution at the state level to channelize resources to the institutions from the State budget.
• Two on-going Central schemes of Model Degree Colleges and submission on polytechnics will be subsumed under RUSA.
• U.G.C. Schemes such as development grants for State universities and colleges, one-time catch up grants, etc. will be dove-tailed in RUSA. Individual oriented schemes would continue to be handled by U.G.C..
• Centre-State funding would be in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and 65:35 for Other States and Union Territories (U.Ts).
• Funding will be provided for government-aided institutions for permitted activities, based on certain norms and parameters, and in a ratio of 50:50.
• States would be free to mobilize private sector participation (including donations and philanthropic grants) through innovative means, limited to a ceiling of 50% of the State share (see chapter 6 of RUSA document for more details).
• State-wise allocations would be decided on the basis of a formulaic entitlement index which would factor in the population size of the relevant age group, G.E.R. and Gender Parity Index (G.P.I.) across categories, State expenditure on higher education, institutional density, teacher-student ratio, issues of access, equity and quality and excellence in higher education, etc. Further allocation of funds would be dependent upon performance of the state and its demonstrated commitment to the reforms agenda.

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Priorities and Strategies

• The priorities of the state are:
• Quality Assurance
• Access and Equity
• Infrastructure Development
• Faculty Recruitment
• Research and innovation

I. Quality assurance

• N.A.A.C. assessment for all the institutions is mandatory. Only 12 Colleges of the state have been accredited so far.
• Necessary grants is to be provided to help institutions within the state for undergoing assessment.

II. Access and Equity

• Provide greater opportunities of access to Higher Education with equity to all the eligible persons and in particular to the vulnerable sections and rural population.
• Expand access by supporting existing institutions, establishing new institutions, to remove imbalances that exist at present.

III. Infrastructure Development

• Thrust on infrastructure development of institutions corresponding to their academic requirements
• Necessary grants is to be provided on a need-based to the institutions within the state.

IV. Capacity Building in Students

• Introduction of job oriented and industrially relevant courses / vocational courses (certificate, Diploma, Degree) to build capacities in students for self employments
• Introducing Remedial classes/ Tutorials/ Career guidance
• Necessary grants is to be provided to the institutions within the state having or willing to introduce such courses/ classes.

IV. Faculty Recruitment

• High Teacher-Student ratio adversely affect quality teaching in the institutions of higher education.
• To promote the quality of Higher Education by lowering the Teacher-Student ratio.
• Incorporating I.C.T. based teaching – learning, virtual classroom to bridge the gaps of shortage of teachers.
• Necessary grants is to be provided to the institutions with high Teacher-Student ratio or institutions introducing new courses/ classes.

V. Research and Innovation

• Lack of opportunity for Research and Development/ limited publications;
• Enhancing Library resource materials and Laboratories.
• To promote Institutions/ Faculty way of providing grants and facilities that support research in different institutions

The Important strategies of the State are mandatory National Assessment and Accreditation Council [N.A.A.C.] assessment for all the institutions, assisting Higher Education Institutions to apply for accreditation, equitable access to all in Higher Education Institutions with enhanced access to the rural population, thrust on infrastructure development of colleges corresponding to their academic requirements, lowering of the Teacher: Student ratio, incorporating Information and Communication Technology based teaching – learning, virtual classroom to bridge the gaps of shortage of teachers, stimulating the research culture in Higher Educational Institutions and strengthening of Library resource materials/ Laboratories.

With the assistance under RUSA Scheme the state envisions an increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio [G.E.R.], quality, access and equity in higher education and to build a system that is not only responsible for producing bright minds but can also support sophisticated research in a number of scientific and scholarly fields.