UGC step-motherly towards state varsities

It is heartening to note that the Government of India has been leaving no stone unturned in strengthening the higher educational institutions (HEIs) of the country. Significant measures in this regard are the release of National Education Policy (NEP), 2016, establishment of Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), Digital Depository for School Leaving Certificates in the name of National Academic Depository (NAD) and the creation of suitable regulatory architecture for turning out world-class teaching and research institutions in both the public and private sectors.

While the government is keen on strengthening the higher education sector in every possible manner, the grant releasing agency, i.e., the University Grants Commission (UGC) has miserably failed in keeping pace with the former. The information released through its website by the UGC, reveals the stark reality in the allocation, release and utilisation of plan grants by the universities in India.

As per the data of the Commission, an amount of Rs 7,502 crore was released to all the HEIs in India. Out of the same, the HEIs could register an expenditure of Rs 6,302 crore, which works out to about 84 per cent. This appears quite impressive. But there is great divergence in the treatment accorded to Central and State Universities. While the 40 Central Universities could get an amount of Rs 6,406 crore, 159 State Universities could get a sanction of just Rs 911 crore as against the allocated amount of Rs 2,078 crore.

The amount sanctioned and released to the State Universities works out to about mere 14.22 per cent of the amount sanctioned and released to Central Universities. In other words, what all the State Universities could receive is equal to what the nine North-East Central Universities had received. What a great divide between the Central and State Universities! It is for this reason State Universities had a strong feeling that they are looked down and accorded step-motherly treatment by the Commission.

A further analysis of the grant releasing activity of the Commission reveals the fact that there are at least 28 Central Universities that received Rs 100 crore and above. The most interesting aspect of the allocation is that of the 14 new Central Universities – 11 of them could receive more than Rs.100 crore. In relative terms, the extent of funding made available to the 14 new Central Universities during the period from 2013-14 to 2016-17 amounted to Rs 2,740 crore, which is 42.8 per cent of the grant allocated to all the 40 Central Universities.

The glaring disparity in the allocation of plan funds is evident from the grants made available to the State Universities. Of the 159 Universities listed by the Commission as receiving plan grants from Central funds, not even a single State University could receive the amounts above Rs 35 crore. While 28 Central Universities are receiving amounts above Rs 100 crore during plan period the lowest figure being Rs 102 crore and the highest figure being Rs 374 crore there were only 13 Universities receiving amounts above Rs 20 crore the lowest being Rs 21 crore and the highest being Rs 35 crore.

Therefore, State Universities stand nowhere in comparison as regards the allocation of funds by the UGC. This lopsided allocation of funds needs to be corrected immediately. Besides the issue of grant allocation and disbursement, there are many other serious issues that need to be pondered over in evaluating the efficiency of the Commission. Unfortunately, it is only the central monitoring agency in the education sector that never showed any interest in taking stakeholders into confidence. No meetings of the Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, or the Faculty were held to discuss their problems and issues in the maintenance of academic standards.

May be, it is for these and many other reasons, the Knowledge Commission must have felt it appropriate to redefine the role of the Commission, to limit its focus on the disbursement of grants alone. Of late, it is reported that NITI Aayog was entrusted with the job of revamping UGC. It remains to be seen how the planning body would set right the things at the Commission. The university community is eagerly waiting for a positive news from the Central government regarding the restructuring of the UGC. (Writer is Former Vice-Chancellor, Acharya Nagarjuna University).

By Prof K Viyyanna Rao