(a) whether the Union Government provides any financial assistance to theeducational institutions for setting up of infrastructural facilities therein;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to grant special educational package for backward districts in the country including Karnataka; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), infrastructural grants is provided to eligible state universities and colleges to address critical needs in institutional infrastructure, especially for creating/ upgrading laboratories, libraries, hostels, toilets etc. These universities and colleges are eligible for a maximum infrastructural grant of Rs. 20.00 crores and Rs. 2 crores respectively. So far 10 universities in 4 states and 155 colleges in 6 states have been sanctioned these infrastructural grants amounting to Rs. 48.38 crores.
(c) & (d): Yes, Madam. In 2009-10 a CSS was launched to set up one Model Degree College (MDC) in each of the identified 374 Educationally Backward Districts (EBDs) including 20 EBDs in Karnataka. The scheme has since been subsumed under RUSA. As per RUSA norms, each EBD is entitled to a maximum amount of Rs. 12.00 crore for establishment of an MDC. So far 64 MDCs under the erstwhile CSS and 50 MDCs under RUSA have been approved. In addition 8 proposals for setting up MDCs in the EBDs of Karnataka were approved under RUSA. However funds for the same have not been sanctioned due to non-submission of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) by the State.