Question : RUSA

(a) the salient features, aims and objectives of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan
(RUSA) along with the status of the implementation of RUSA including funds allocated
under the scheme, State-wise;
(b) whether the Government has achieved the objectives since its inception, if so, the
details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) the details of financial allocations made under this scheme by the Government during
each of the last three years and the current year to Andhra Pradesh;
(d) whether the Union and State Government have prepared any higher education plan
on the scheme for upgradation of the universities in Andhra Pradesh and if so, the details
thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(e) the other steps taken by the Government to create new universities through
upgradation of existing autonomous colleges in Andhra Pradesh?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)

(a) & (b): Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a Centrally Sponsored
Scheme (CSS) being implemented by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. It
is an overarching scheme, being operated in mission mode for funding the state
universities and colleges in order to achieve the aims of equity, access and excellence. It
seeks 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 mandatory quality assurance framework; correcting regional
imbalances by facilitating access to high quality institutions in rural & semi-urban areas;
and providing adequate opportunities of higher education to socially deprived
communities; promoting inclusion of women, minorities, SC/ST/OBCs and differently
abled persons to ensure equity. Transformative reforms such as governance, academic,
affiliation and accreditation reforms are pre-requisites in the implementation of the
scheme in the States. All the funding under RUSA is norm based and future grants are
performance based and outcome dependent.
The RUSA Scheme has been instrumental in improving the access and equity in
higher education. As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report, the overall
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education has improved from 21.5 in 2012-13
i.e. at time of inception of RUSA to 26.3 in 2018-19. Enrolment of female students and
also of socially backward classes have considerably improved. RUSA mandates the
rightsizing of State public universities in terms of number of affiliated colleges to each
university through affiliation reforms. Accordingly, States have bifurcated/trifurcated their
existing universities. As on date, all the States/UTs except Lakshdweep are participating
in RUSA.
The details of the scheme are at rusa.nic.in. The details of the funds released to
the States/UTs under RUSA are at Annexure.
(c): The details of funds released under this scheme to Andhra Pradesh during the
last three years and the current year are as under:
(Rs. in Crores)
Year 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Grand
Total
Total
Releases 7.4479 86.42 100.1 14.1 208.06
(d): To improve the overall infrastructure and promote research and innovation in the
Universities of Andhra Pradesh under RUSA, central support for 9 universities under the
component of Infrastructure Grants to Universities and 1 University under the component
of Research, Innovation & Quality Improvement has been approved. Further, central
support for 2 Universities under the component of Enhancing Quality and Excellence in
Select Universities has also been approved.
(e): Under RUSA, universities can be created by way of either upgradation of
autonomous colleges or by conversion of colleges in a cluster. However, no such unit
has been approved to the State of Andhra Pradesh due to non-receipt of eligible
proposal.
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