SRINAGAR: The Union government has clarified that private self-financing colleges in Jammu and Kashmir are not eligible for financial assistance under central government schemes.
The information was revealed in the Lok Sabha in response to a question by Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, with Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Majumdar providing the details.
The minister said that the University Grants Commission (UGC) does not provide financial aid to private self-financing colleges, including those in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, government and government-aided colleges in JK are eligible for funding under schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) and Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).
To improve higher education infrastructure, the government launched PM-USHA in June 2023, the third phase of RUSA, with an outlay of Rs 12,926.10 crore for 2023-24 to 2025-26. The scheme aims to support state universities, government colleges, and new institutions in underserved regions.
The minister said that data on the total number of private and government degree colleges in each state, as per AISHE 2022-23 (Provisional), is available on the Ministry of Education’s website. Additionally, details of funds allocated under PM-USHA, UGC grants, and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for schools over the past two years can also be accessed online.
This clarification reaffirms the government’s focus on strengthening public higher education institutions while keeping private self-financing colleges outside the scope of central funding. (KNO)
