Question : REDUCTION IN FUNDS

(a) whether the Government has reduced funds for higher educational institutions including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Insti- tutes of Management (IIMs) for the remaining period of 2014-15;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government cuts in funds for higher education is likely to hit IITs worst and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(d) whether the revision in annual budget will also hit the eight new IITs that were scheduled to move to their permanent campuses this academic year and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government has revised allocation for Rashtriya Uchchatar Siksha Abhiyan (RUSA) which seeks to improve overall quality of higher education in the country and if so, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (b): The total allocation for the Department of Higher Education under BE-2014-15 was Rs.27656 Crore, which has been reduced to Rs.23,700 Crore under RE-2014-15. The allocation for the existing IITs has been reduced from Rs.4,076.02 Crore under BE-2014-15 to Rs.3923.63 Crore under RE-2014-15. There has been no reduction in allocations for existing IIMs. The budget for new IITs and IIMs, as announced by Union Finance Minister in July, 2014, has been reduced from Rs. 500 crore to Rs. 65 crore.

(c): No, Madam. As against a total budgetary cut of 14.30% for the Department of Higher Education, the budgetary cut for the IITs is 3.74%.

(d): No, Madam. The allocation for the remaining part of Financial Year 2014-15 has been suitably prioritized to ensure that the new IITs do not suffer for want of funds.

(e): 2014-15 was the first full financial year since rollout of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). Accordingly, most of the states were involved in the preparation of State Higher Education Plans (SHEPs). It was for this reason that the Budget Estimate was reduced in the RE-2014-15.