(a) the number of students enrolled in the Central and State Universities;
(b) the percentage of students in these Universities, who are able to get employment;
(c) the amount of financial aid provided by the Government to the above Universities and the names of courses likely to be introduced in the said Universities; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a): As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) provisional figures for 2011-12, the number of students enrolled in the Central and State Universities are 10.85 lakhs and 33.95 lakhs respectively. Rest of the enrolments are in colleges affiliated to these universities.
(b): Such data is not centrally maintained.
(c): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has reported that an amount of Rs. 8450.87 crores was released by it, under Plan and Non-Plan Head, during 2012-13, to Central and State Universities and Deemed to be Universities which were eligible, as per Section 12B of the UGC Act, 1956, to receive grants. The UGC provides grants to Central and Central Government controlled Deemed to be Universities, both under Plan (Development) and Non-plan (Maintenance) schemes / programmes while assistance to State Universities is being made available only under Plan (Development) Schemes / Programmes. While the grants, in general, are not tied to introduction of specific courses, the UGC gives financial assistance for introduction of certain courses for increasing employability, equity and quality in the higher education sector. One such scheme is the UGC scheme for introduction of B.Voc programme under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). The objective of the scheme is to enable the graduates completing B.Voc to make a meaningful participation in accelerating the country’s economy by gaining appropriate employment, becoming entrepreneurs and creating appropriate knowledge. The UGC has approved release of Rs. 4625.00 lakhs to 25 Central Universities, State Universities and Deemed to be Universities, during 13-14, under the scheme.
Further, the AICTE conducts a programme called the Employability Enhancement Training Programme (EETP) with BSNL to train students of Electronics & Communications. The AICTE has also initiated a programme called National Employability Enhancement Mission (NEEM) to offer on the job practical training to enhance employability of a person either pursuing his or her graduation/diploma in any technical or non-technical stream or a person who has discontinued studies of degree/diploma courses.
(d): Under the NSQF of National Skills Development Agency (NSDA) of the Government of India and National Occupational Standards prescribed by National Skill Development Council (NSDC) and its Sector Skill Councils, this Ministry launched the Community College Scheme in 200 institutions on a pilot basis in 2013, in the existing universities /degree colleges by University Grants Commission (UGC) and in polytechnics by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), in the country. Trades in areas of automobile, retail, Information Technology (IT) & ITeS(IT Services & IT enabled Services), tourism & hospitality management, beauty & health care, building construction & technology, etc. are some of the major vocations being offered.