Parliament Question: Shortage of Higher Education Institutions and Faculty in Western Uttar Pradesh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5051 ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026 Shortage of Higher Education Institutions and Faculty in Western Uttar Pradesh 5051. Shri Zia Ur Rehman: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of the shortage of Government degree colleges, technical institutions and quality faculty in the districts of Western Uttar Pradesh; (b) if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government to strengthen higher education infrastructure and implement the National Education Policy in the said region; (c) whether similar gap in educational infrastructure exists in other parts of the Country; and (d) if so, the details of the national initiatives undertaken by the Government to improve access, quality and digital education across the Country? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (Dr. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (d): 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 Department of Higher Education, Government of India, is implementing Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Centrally Sponsored Scheme aimed at funding specific State government universities and colleges, so as to improve their quality by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards. In alignment with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the government has launched the third phase of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in June 2023 in the form of Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) for the period 2023-24 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, priority is given to focus districts which are identified by the concerned States/ UTs based on various criteria, including low Gross Enrolment Ratio, Gender Parity, population proportion and enrolment proportion for females, transgenders, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, Aspirational/ Border Area/ Left Wing Extremism district etc.Under the Scheme, support is provided to government and government-aided HEIs of States/UTs for strengthening infrastructure, including the construction and renovation of academic and administrative buildings, hostels, research facilities, digital laboratories, and other enabling facilities required for improving access and quality in higher education, along with strengthening research and innovation output through various components viz., Multi- Disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU), Grants to Strengthen Universities (GSU), Grants to Strengthen Colleges (GSC), New Model Degree Colleges (NMDC) and Gender Inclusion and Equity Initiatives (GIEI). Since the inception of the scheme, 204 units, including 66 units under PM-USHA, have been approved in the state Uttar Pradesh, with total approved amount of Rs.1942.27 crore under various components such as MERU (Rs.100 crore), Creation of Universities by way of Upgradation of Existing Autonomous Colleges (Rs.55 crore), Grants to Strengthen Universities (Rs.20 crore), Infrastructure Grants to Universities (Rs. 20 crore), Faculty Improvement (Rs.10 crore), etc. This includes the establishment of 26 New Model Degree Colleges and 2 New Colleges (Professional & Technical) amounting to Rs. 312 crore and Rs.52 crore, respectively. *****