(a) the number of Central Universities in the Country;
(b) Criteria for a university being declared as a Central University;
(c) whether the Government has received any proposal to declare 92 years old Annamalai University of Tamilnadu as Central University as Annamalai University was established in 1929 and it like a heritage;
(d) whether the Government proposes to make it a Central University;
(e) if so, the details thereof; and
(f) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)
(a) to (f): As per information made available by University Grants Commission, there are 54 Central Universities in the country at present, out of which 46 Central Universities come under the purview of Ministry of Education. Establishment of a Central University is an ongoing process which is decided according to the demand and need. Presently there is no such proposal under consideration of this Ministry to declare Annamalai University of Tamilnadu as a Central University. In the State of Tamilnadu, there is already one Central University at Thiruvarur and one Deemed to be University The Gandhigram Rural Institute at Dinigul which are fully funded by Government of India. The Central Universities are envisaged to function more as pace setter institutions to provide academic leadership to other institutions in the region rather than as institutions to redress the regional imbalance. ‘Education’ being a concurrent subject, the State Governments are also taking various initiatives to address the issue of regional imbalance in higher education in the respective States. Besides, Private Universities/Institutions are also playing a significant role in this regard.
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