States have to have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Center for the implementation of the new National Education Policy but some states are against the Prime Minister’s Higher Education Campaign. The PM-USHA scheme is based on 60:40 funding between the Center and the States but has no additional provision for NEP reforms.
PM-USHA Scheme
- In the light of the National Education Policy , RUSA ( Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) Scheme has been launched as “Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM- USHA)” in June 2023.
- RUSA, as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in October 2013, aiming at providing strategic funding to higher education institutions throughout the country.
It focuses on
- Equity Access and inclusion in higher education
- Developing Quality Teaching & Learning processes,
- Accreditation of Non Accredited Institutions and improving accreditation.
- ICT – based Digital Infrastructure.
- Enhancing Employability through Multidisciplinary.
Objective
- To improve the overall quality of existing state higher educational institutions by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards and adoption of accreditation as a quality assurance framework.
- Ensure governance, academic, and examination reforms in the State higher educational institutions and establish backward and forward linkages with school education on one hand and employment market, on the other hand, to facilitate self-reliance and thus creating an Atma-Nirbhar Bharat
- Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher educational institutions to devote themselves to research and innovations.
Need for MoU and Concerns Raised by States
Need
- The MoU includes provisions for planning, implementation, and monitoring, aligning State proposals with NEP for better integration.
- The scheme offers flexibility for States/UTs to tailor activities according to their needs, streamlining components for more effective resource allocation.
- Moreover, States can identify focus districts based on indicators like enrollment ratios, gender parity, and population proportions of marginalized communities.
Concerns
- Some State governments have expressed dissatisfaction with the MoU, as it doesn’t address the need for additional funding to implement NEP reforms.
- States are responsible for 40% of the PM-USHA expenses, but the MoU doesn’t provide clarity on funding mechanisms for NEP-related changes.