Font size:
Print
NITI Aayog’s Policy Recommendations for SPUs
Context:
NITI Aayog has proposed a set of 80 policy recommendations aimed at improving the quality of higher education in State Public Universities (SPUs). These recommendations focus on financial autonomy, research policy, and infrastructure development.
Overview of SPUs in India
- State Public Universities (SPUs) play a crucial role in India’s higher education landscape.
- These institutions, established or incorporated by provincial or state acts and funded by state governments, are responsible for providing affordable and accessible higher education across the country.
- There are 495 SPUs in India, with over 46,000 affiliated institutions across the country.
Key Features of SPUs
- Wide Reach: SPUs account for approximately 81% of the total student enrollment in India. They serve as regional hubs, reaching nearly 3.25 crore students.
- Regional Balance: SPUs have been instrumental in addressing regional imbalances in educational access, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
- Diverse Offerings: These universities offer a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across various disciplines.
- Affordability: SPUs provide affordable education, making higher education accessible to a larger segment of the population.
Financial Challenges Faced by SPUs
- Inadequate state government grants only cover a fraction of a university’s operational expenses.
- Some universities struggle to even meet faculty salary payments due to funding constraints.
Proposal for Fee Autonomy
- NITI Aayog recommends granting financial decision-making autonomy to SPUs.
- A pilot project on fee autonomy has been proposed.
- Leading SPUs can be permitted inflation-adjusted fee hikes (around 5-10% annually) to meet expenditure requirements.
- Fee hikes will be implemented within reasonable limits to maintain affordability.
- Scholarships and fee waivers should be provided for socio-economically disadvantaged students.
Dedicated Infrastructure Finance Agency for SPUs
- A specialised Infrastructure Finance Agency should be established for SPUs.
- The agency will be modeled after the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), which supports premier institutions like IITs and central universities.
- The agency will focus on providing loans and grants for:
- Infrastructure development
- Research facilities
- Student, scholar, and faculty accommodation
Draft Research Policy for SPUs
- A framework is suggested to strengthen research capabilities in state universities.
- Focus on improving faculty support and funding for research activities.
