**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1507, answered on February 9, 2026. It details the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) in education, particularly the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) and its third phase, Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA), being implemented in Maharashtra by the Department of Higher Education. The document provides information on fund allocation, unit approvals, and scheme implementation strategies, with project timelines extending until 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) & RUSA:**
* The Central Government implements CSS like RUSA to support State Governments in enhancing the quality of education, recognizing the concurrent responsibility of both Central and State Governments in education.
* RUSA aims to improve the quality of State government universities and colleges by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards.
* **Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA):**
* PM-USHA, the third phase of RUSA, was launched in June 2023 for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 12926.10 crore to cater to the needs of educationally unserved/underserved areas.
* Support is provided to States/UTs for strengthening infrastructure, including construction of hostels, academic and administrative buildings, laboratories, and other facilities required for improving access to and quality of higher education.
* **Maharashtra Specific Information:**
* A total of 61 units have been approved in Maharashtra under PM-USHA, with a total amount of Rs. 814.24 crore.
* Out of these, 4 units amounting to Rs. 25 crore are in the districts of Beed, Washim, and Yavatmal.
* Maharashtra has onboarded the SNA-SPARSH model of PFMS in the financial year 2024-25 under PM-USHA.
* Funds are released 'just in time' under the SNA-SPARSH model, and vendors/beneficiaries receive direct payments through daily sanction releases based on bill submissions on the PFMS portal.
* **Scheme Evaluation:**
* A third-party evaluation was conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in August 2025, which recommended continuation of the scheme.
* **District-wise Breakdown of PM-USHA Support:**
* A table in the "ANNEXURE" lists district-wise allocation, with total units approved (61) and the total amount approved (Rs. 814.24 Crore).
**Impact Analysis**
**State Government of Maharashtra**
* **Impact:** Benefits from centrally sponsored schemes like RUSA and PM-USHA to enhance higher education infrastructure and quality. Receives financial support for improving educational institutions.
* **Action Required:** Onboard and utilize the SNA-SPARSH model for PM-USHA fund management. Ensure proper submission of bills on the PFMS portal to facilitate timely fund releases.
**State Government Universities and Colleges in Maharashtra**
* **Impact:** Opportunity to improve quality and infrastructure by aligning with prescribed norms and standards through PM-USHA funding.
* **Action Required:** Ensure compliance with prescribed norms and standards. Utilize the PM-USHA funds to strengthen infrastructure, construct hostels, academic buildings, laboratories, and improve access to quality higher education.
**Beneficiaries (Students, Teachers, Vendors)**
* **Impact:** Improved infrastructure, better educational facilities, direct payment receipt through PFMS portal.
* **Action Required:** No direct action, but they should be aware of the improvements and changes implemented through PM-USHA.
**Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA)**
* **Impact:** Successfully performed the third-party evaluation of PM-USHA.
* **Action Required:** N/A
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA): A centrally sponsored scheme launched as the third phase of RUSA to fund State government universities and colleges, aiming to improve their quality by ensuring conformity to prescribed norms and standards.
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA): A centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Central Government to support State Governments in higher education.
Maharashtra: Indian state where PM-USHA is being implemented, as inquired about in the Lok Sabha question.
Ministry of Education: The ministry responsible for answering the parliamentary question regarding centrally sponsored schemes in education.
Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS): General reference to programs implemented by the Government of India in the field of education, particularly in Maharashtra.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1507
ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026
Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Education
†1507. Shri Bajrang Manohar Sonwane:
Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the details of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS)/programmes being implemented by the
Government in the field of education in Maharashtra especially in the rural areas of the State;
(b) the number of beneficiaries who have benefited from such schemes during the last five
years in Maharashtra, year-wise and district-wise especially Beed and Washim Yavatmal Lok
Sabha Parliamentary Constituencies;
(c) whether the Government has adopted integrated approach for the implementation of the
schemes to ensure efficiency and effective results of the said schemes and if so, the details
thereof;
(d) the major challenges being faced by the Government in implementing the above schemes
which include delay in fund disbursement, lack of infrastructure, shortage of trained teachers
and issues related to access in remote areas;
(e) whether any evaluation or impact assessment studies have been conducted by the
Government to measure the effectiveness of these schemes; and
(f) if so, the findings thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(Dr. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (f): Education being in the Concurrent List, enhancing the quality of education is the
responsibility of both the Central and State Governments. However, recognizing the need for
central assistance, the Central Government has implemented various centrally sponsored
schemes including Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for supporting State
Governments.
The Department of Higher Education is implementing RUSA, aimed at funding specific State
government universities and colleges, so as to improve their quality by ensuring their conformity
to prescribed norms and standards. The Government has launched the third phase of RUSA in
June 2023 in the form of Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) for the period2023-24 to 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 12926.10 crore, including the committed liabilities of
the earlier phases of RUSA, to cater to the needs of educationally unserved/ underserved areas.
Under PM-USHA, a total of 61 units for a total amount of Rs. 814.24 crore have been approved
in the State of Maharashtra, including 4 units amounting to Rs. 25 crore in the districts of Beed,
Washim and Yavatmal districts. The district wise details of units approved in Maharashtra under
PM-USHA are at Annexure. Under the scheme, support is provided to States/UTs for
strengthening infrastructure, including construction of hostels, academic and administrative
buildings, laboratories, and other facilities required for improving access to and quality of higher
education.
Under PM-USHA, the State of Maharashtra has onboarded the SNA-SPARSH model of PFMS
in the financial year 2024-25. Under the SNA-SPARSH model, funds are released ‘just in time’,
and vendors and beneficiaries receive direct payments through daily sanction releases based
on the submission of bills on the PFMS portal.
Under the scheme, for continuation of PM-USHA in its next phase, a third-party evaluation was
conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in August 2025, which
recommended continuation of the scheme.
****ANNXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) to (F) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED
QUESTION NO. 1507 DATED 09.02.2026 ASKED BY SHRI BAJRANG MANOHAR
SONWANE AND SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH, HON’BLE MEMBER OF
PARLIAMENT REGARDING CENTRALLY SPONSORED SCHEMES IN EDUCATION
Details of support to Districts in Maharashtra under PM-USHA
Total Amount
No. of units
S. No. Districts Approved (Rs.
approved
Crore)
1 Ahmednagar 1 5.00
2 Akola 2 10.00
3 Amravati 3 30.00
4 Aurangabad 3 14.99
5 Beed 1 4.99
6 Bhandara 1 5.00
7 Buldhana 1 4.98
8 Chandrapur 1 5.00
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
9 1 100.00
(Aurangabad)
10 Dhule 1 5.00
11 Gadchiroli 3 114.98
12 Gondia 1 5.00
13 Hingoli 1 5.00
14 Jalgaon 2 25.00
15 Jalna 2 10.00
16 Kolhapur 3 29.36
17 Latur 2 9.77
18 Mumbai 4 145.00
19 Mumbai Suburban 1 5.00
20 Nagpur 2 25.00
21 Nanded 4 35.00
22 Nandurbar 2 12.78
23 Nashik 1 5.00
24 Osmanabad 2 14.34
25 Palghar 1 5.00
26 Parbhani 1 5.00
27 Pune 1 5.00
28 Raigad 1 5.00
29 Ratnagiri 1 5.00
30 Sangli 1 5.00
31 Satara 1 5.00
32 Sindhudurg 1 5.00
33 Solapur 3 110.00
34 Thane 1 5.00
35 Wardha 1 5.00
36 Washim 2 15.00
37 Yavatmal 1 5.00
Total 61 806.18
MMER 8.06
Grand Total 814.24