Centre okays Rs100 cr for K’shetra varsity

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, May 27

Within three months of granting the special autonomous status to Kurukshetra University (KU), the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has approved a grant of Rs 100 crore for it.

Vice-Chancellor Prof KC Sharma confirmed the grant and said it would help in addressing the long-pending requirement of infrastructure development and strengthening research activities on the campus.

He hoped that the state government would further increase the financial support to the KU that had been facing a financial crunch for the last several years.

Sources said the KU had submitted a proposal of Rs 162 crore to the Central government but the MHRD agreed to allocate Rs 100 crore. The University Grants Commission (UGC) funds would route through the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally-sponsored scheme (CSS).

“Being the oldest university of Haryana, the KU has excelled in various fields. We are looking for more liberal financial assistance from the government to make it a centre of excellence,” said Sharma.

On March 20, the UGC had accorded full autonomy to 62 higher educational institutions across India, including the KU, in recognition of their high academic standards.

Sharma said the prompt fund allocation has silenced rumours that the Centre may ask autonomous institutions to generate independent financial resources.

“Ramps and lifts in various building for the convenience of differently-abled persons will also be constructed,” said the Vice-Chancellor.

“The state government pays 95 per cent budget of aided colleges whereas it gives the KU only 30 per cent of its annual budget. I have written to the state authorities to enhance the budget allocation for overall development,” he said.