New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Revised Cost of Estimates (RCE) for incurring an expenditure of Rs.3639.32 crore for the 13 new Central Universities for recurring cost and creation of necessary infrastructure for completion of the campuses. The work will be completed within a period of 36 months.
The Cabinet has also given ex-post facto approval for an amount of Rs.1474.65 crore, being the amount spent over and above the earlier Cabinet approval of Rs.3000 crore for these Central Universities.
The new Central Universities in the States of Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir (Two), Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu were established under Central Universities Act, 2009. These include:
1. Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar
2. Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh
3. Central University of Jammu, Jammu
4. Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi
5. Central University of Kashmir, Srinagar
6. Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga
7. Central University of Kerala, Kasargod
8. Central University of Orissa, Koraput
9. Central University of Punjab, Bhatinda
10. Central University of Rajasthan, Bandersindri, Rajasthan
11. Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur
12. Central University of Gujarat, Gujarat
13. Central University of Himachal Pradesh
Impact: This would increase access to higher education and set exemplary standards for other Universities to emulate. It will also help in minimizing the regional imbalances in educational facilities.