RUSA
Rashtriya Uchchatar
Shiksha Abhiyan
Background
Innovative educational policies in India have been a
huge success. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) launched in
2001 for elementary education and Rashtriya
Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) launched in
2009 for secondary education produced great results in
the educational developments.
For higher education University Grants Commission
(UGC) has a provision for routine innovation and
development fundings. UGC funds are quite adequate
for centrally funded universities and colleges, which are
recognised under sections 12B and 2(f) of UGC Act.
However, as of 31 March 2012 statistics, the
higher education sector in India consisted of 574
universities and 35,539 colleges, out of which
214 universities are not covered under 12B of
UGC Act, and only 6,787 colleges are registered
under 12B and 2(f).
Thus a larger number of higher institutes run by
state governments, which are limited in their
own management, are not provided with
sufficient financial support to enhance their
facilities for educational reforms.
Therefore, a separate scheme for state/UT-managed
universities and colleges was proposed by the
National Development Council (NDC) as part of the
12th Five-Year Plan in 2012.The Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs approved it in
October 2013.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
(CCEA) approved the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha
Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
(CSS) for reforming the state higher education
system.
Key features of RUSA in the 12th Five-year Plan :
1. RUSA will have a financial outlay of Rs 22,855
crore out of which Rs 16,227 crore will be borne
by the Centre.
2. Besides this, Centre will also allocate Rs 1800 crore
for the existing scheme Sub-Mission polytechnics.
3. Total financial contribution from Centre, including
the existing scheme of polytechnics, will be Rs
18,027 crore.
4. Ratio of Centre-State funding would be 90:10 for
North-Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu and
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and
65:35 for other States and Union Territories.
5. Spread over two plan periods, RUSA aims for
improving access, equity and quality in the state
higher education system.
6. It also aims to incentivize States to step up plan
investments in higher education.
Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha
Abhiyan (RUSA)
Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
(for "National Higher Education Mission") is a
holistic scheme of development for
higher education in India initiated in 2013 by the
Ministry of Human Resource Development,
Government of India.
The centrally sponsored scheme aims at providing
strategic funding to higher educational institutions
throughout the country.
Funding is provided by the central ministry through
the state governments and union territories (UT),
which in coordination with the central Project
Appraisal Board will monitor the academic,
administrative and financial advancements taken
under the scheme.
A total of 316 state public universities and 13,024
colleges will be covered under it.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD) has already approved the implementation
of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan in as
many as 15 states and four union territories so far.
SALIENT FEATURES
Keeping in view the recommendations of the
Planning Commission, the need for reforms in the
state higher education sector, using central funds in
a strategic manner to ensure holistic planning at the
state level and enhancement of allocations for state
institutions, a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme is
proposed.
The scheme would be spread over the two plan
periods (XII and XIII), and would be an over
arching scheme for funding the State Universities
and colleges in order to achieve the aims of equity,
access and excellence.
This scheme is called the Rashtriya Uchchatar
Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).
The scheme has the following salient features:
1. It is an umbrella scheme to be operated in mission
mode project that would subsume other existing
schemes in the sector.
2. The central funding would flow from MHRD to
institutions, through the State budget.
3. The funding to states would be made on the basis of
critical appraisal of State Plans for Higher
Education Plans (SHEPs). The plans would describe
each state’s strategy to address issues of equity,
access and excellence in higher education.
4. All funding under the RUSA would be norm based
and future grants would be outcome dependent.
Commitment to certain academic, administrative
and governance reforms will be a precondition for
receiving funding under RUSA. Centre-state
funding for the scheme will be in the ratio of 90:10
for North-Eastern States, Sikkim, J&K, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttarakhand and 65:35 for other States
and UTs. Funding will be available to even private-
aided institutions, subject to their duration of
existence, for permitted activities (not all) based on
certain norms and parameters, in a ratio of 50:50.
GOAL:
The objectives of RUSA would be to achieve the
target of GER of 32% by the end of XIII Plan,
which the central Government has set for itself.
Government of India aims to improve the quality of
State Universities and colleges and enhance their
existing capacities so that they become dynamic,
demand-driven, quality conscious, efficient and
forward looking and responsive to rapid economic
and technological developments occurring at the
local, state, national and international levels.
The salient objectives of the scheme can be
enumerated as follows:
1. Improve the overall quality of existing state
institutions by ensuring that all institutions conform
to prescribed norms and standards and adopt
accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance
framework.
2. Usher transformative reforms in the state higher
education system by creating a facilitating
institutional structure for planning and monitoring
at the state level, promoting autonomy in State
Universities and improving governance in
institutions.
3. Ensure academic and examination reforms in the
higher educational institutions.
4. Enable conversion of some of the universities into
research universities at par with the best in the
world.
5. Create opportunities for states to undertake reforms
in the affiliation system in order to ensure that the
reforms and resource requirements of affiliated
colleges are adequately met.
6. Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty in all
higher educational institutions and ensure capacity
building at all levels of employment.
7. Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher
educational institutions to devote themselves to
research and innovations.
8. Expand the institutional base by creating additional
capacity in existing institutions and establishing
new institutions, in order to achieve enrolment
targets.
9. Correct regional imbalances in access to higher
education by facilitating access to high quality
institutions in urban & semi-urban areas, creating
opportunities for students from rural areas to get
access to better quality institutions and setting up
institutions in un-served & underserved areas.
10. Improve equity in higher education by providing
adequate opportunities of higher education to
SC/STs and socially and educationally backward
classes; promote inclusion of women, minorities,
and differently abled persons.
SCOPE:
All State Universities and colleges (both 12B and
2(f) compliant and non-12B and non-2(f) of UGC
Act) from all states and Union Territories (UTs)
across the country would be eligible to be covered
under RUSA.
Subject to eligibility, an estimated 306 state
universities and 850099colleges will be covered
under this initiative to improve the learning
outcomes and employability of graduates and to
scale-up research, development and innovations.
The project will also support these institutions to
improve their policy, academic and management
practices.
While public funded colleges and universities
would be eligible for all the components, the private
aided colleges would be entitled to some
components (including infrastructure support) but
the funding ratio would be 50:50.
Funding to such colleges would be decided based on
their antiquity and relevance.
Funds would be provided both for infrastructure and
quality improvement.
Each institution will have to prepare a perspective
plan( Institutional Development Plan) for all the
components, which will be then aggregated at the state
level, after imposing a super layer of state relevant
components.
The project would also enable and empower the states
to develop sufficient capabilities to plan, implement
and monitor initiatives for the higher education sector
as a whole.
Each state must undertake a Baseline Survey (as
illustrated in the Institutional Development Plan and
State Higher Education Plan templates) followed by
the preparation of State Higher Education Plans, which
would be further broken down into annual plans.
State Higher Education Plan templates) followed by
the preparation of State Higher Education Plans,
which would be further broken down into annual
plans.
These annual plans will constitute the basis for
determining the funding to states.
The plans would have mainly two components, state
component and institutional plans (aggregated).
RUSA will support the states to create new systems
and processes.
APPROACH
RUSA will fund the institutions under a few key
components.
The yardstick for deciding the quantum of funds for
the states and institution will be the norms that will
reflect the key result areas (access, equity and
excellence).
The State Higher Education Plans will capture the
current position of the states and institutions on the
basis of these norms as well as the targets that need
to be achieved.
The State Higher Education Council (SHEC)
(discussed in following sections) will undertake this
process of planning and evaluation, in addition to
other monitoring and capacity building functions.
The State Higher Education Councils will be the
key institution at the state level to channelize
resources to the institutions from the state budget.
In order to realize the intended outcomes, certain a
priori commitments towards reform process have to
be made by the states.
These conditions will be non-negotiable
prerequisites, i.e., commitments made by the states
as well as institutions, for them to become eligible
for funding under RUSA.
These prerequisites include academic, sectoral and
institutional governance reforms, creation of State
Higher Education Councils, funding commitments
by states, filling faculty positions (or a commitment
to do so within a fixed time frame) etc.
This will allow then to receive the preparatory
amount to undertake all required activities as a part
of the a priori commitments.
Under the scheme an initial, preparatory amount
will also be provided to the state government to
prepare them for complying with the a-priori
requirements will be required to indicate their
interest to participate in RUSA.
Once eligible for funding under RUSA after
fulfilling these prerequisite, the states will receive
funds based on their SHEPs limited to the resource
envelope for the state under RUSA to be decided by
the PAB.
Future funds flows would be determined based on
outcomes and achievements against the targets. The
emphasis would be not only on physical output, but
also on the intended outcomes.
STRATEGIC FOCUS OF RUSA:
Strategic funding of state institutions must ensure
that the issues of quality and access are addressed in
an equitable manner.
This would entail encouraging the states to prepare
State Higher Education Plan duly keeping the
following aspects in mind:
• Spatial and regional planning after due mapping
• Programme and discipline planning
• Mandatory accreditation and quality improvement
• Reforms – governance and academic
• Infrastructure saturation
• Review of the affiliation system
• Transparent and norm-based funding
• Outcome-based reimbursements
• Faculty planning
• Equity interventions
• Focus on research and innovation
STRATEGY:
The project will be implemented through the
Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD) of the Government of India as a “Centrally
Sponsored Scheme” with matching contribution
from the state governments and Union Territories
(UTs).
Since a five year time frame may not be adequate
for such an ambitious project, the project will be
spread over two plan periods of XII and XIII Plans.
MHRD and states will share the project cost. Project
cost in the public funded institutions (12B and 2(f)
as well as non 12B and non 2(f) of UGC Act) for all
sub-components will be shared between the Central
Government and state governments in the ratio of
90:10 for North-Eastern States, Sikkim, J&K,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and 65:35 for
Other States and UTs.
Funding will also be provided for private-aided
institutions, for permitted activities based on certain
norms and parameters, in a ratio of 50:50.
The 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.
The ceiling is imposed to motivate increase in states
spend and investment in higher education sector.
A set of eligibility criteria for states will be enforced
to achieve a high and sustained impact of the
project.
The criteria will seek to give the states and project
institutions adequate decision-making powers that
will enable and encourage them to deliver quality
education and undertake research and innovation in
an efficient manner
The primary endeavor is to transform the
governments’ traditional role of input control into a
role of focusing on outcomes, and incentivizing
improvements in higher education.
COMPONENTS OF RUSA:
RUSA is envisaged as a prime vehicle for strategic
funding of state institutions so as to ensure that issues
of access, equity and quality are addressed in an
equitable manner with the state as a composite unit of
planning.
The following are the primary components of RUSA
that capture the key action and funding areas that must
be pursued for the fulfillment of the targets:
1. New Universities
2. Up gradation of existing autonomous colleges to
Universities
3. Conversion of colleges to Cluster Universities
4. Infrastructure grants to Universities
5. New Model Colleges (General)
6. Upgradation of existing degree colleges to model
colleges
7. New Colleges (Professional)
8. Infrastructure grants to colleges
9. Research, innovation and quality improvement
10. Equity initiatives
11. Faculty Recruitment Support
12. Faculty improvements
13. Research Universities
14. Vocationalisation of Higher Education
15. Leadership Development of Educational
Administrators
16. Institutional restructuring & reforms
17. Capacity building & preparation, Data collection
& planning
18. Management Information System.
The objectives of RUSA would be achieved through
need based and customized equity interventions,
quality improvement programs, and obtain
mandatory accreditation.
Faculty issues would be addressed through creation
of new posts, filling of existing posts by full time
faculty and faculty improvement programmes.
Equity interventions are being built into the scheme
rather than as standalone, low impact interventions.
The following components would address the
equity issues in a more holistic and integrated
manner, thereby making a significant impact on the
enrolment of deprived and marginalized sections:
1. Girls hostels and girls toilets
2. New hostels wherein 50% of capacity would be
used for SC/ST and socially and educationally
backward classes
3. Converting existing buildings into fully disabled
friendly environments (e.g. providing ramps, tactile
pathways)
4. Special facilities/equipment’s for the disabled (e.g
computers, lab equipments)
5. Model Colleges in each district
6. Special innovative programmes for focus groups
and ODL strategies.
Funding process
RUSA is provided by the central Ministry of Human
Resource Development directly to the state and UT
governments.
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.
From the state/UT budget the funds are disbursed to
individual institutions.
The funding to states would be made on the basis of
critical appraisal of state plans for higher education
plans, which would describe each state’s strategy to
address issues of equity, access and excellence in
higher education.
The amount of funding from central government
will be 65% of the total grants, and 35% will be
contributed by the state/UT as matching share.
The central funding (in the ratio of 60:40 for general
category States, 90:10 for special category states
and 100% for union territories) would be norm
based and outcome dependent.
For northeastern states, Sikkim,
Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand the matching
share is waived to 10%.During the 12th Five-Year
Plan period between 2012–2017,
RUSA is allotted a financial outlay of INR 228.55
billion, of which INR 162.27 billion will be
contributed by the central government.
During the first phase, 80 new universities would be
created by converting autonomous colleges/colleges
in a cluster to state universities.
100 new colleges would be set up and 54 existing
colleges would be converted into model degree
colleges.
Infrastructure grants would be given to 150
universities and 3,500 colleges to upgrade and fill
critical gaps in infrastructure especially libraries,
laboratories, etc.
Further additional 5,000 faculty positions would be
supported. Then the scheme will extend into the
13th Five-Year Plan.
The central funding (in the ratio of 60:40 for general
category States, 90:10 for special category states
and 100% for union territories) would be norm
based and outcome dependent.
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