Nagpur: Even as the fate of the much-hyped
Gondwana University, announced by the Maharashtra government
hangs in limbo, the backward and Naxal-infested district of
Gadchiroli has a reason to cheer.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sanctioned a
`Model College` for this district in East Vidarbha as part of
its ambitious programme through which it plans to establish
374 such colleges in Educationally Backward Districts (EBDs)
across India with an aim to increase their Gross Enrolment
Ratio (GER).
The college would begin from next academic session
commencing in June 2011. The apex education body has also
sanctioned about Rs 2.5 crore grant for setting it up, which
is the highest amount given to a college in its 87-year-old
history so far.
The college would be set up with a total grant of Rs 8
crore of which about Rs 5.50 crore would be given by the state
government.
Mahesh Yenkie, Registrar, Rashtra Sant Tukdoji Maharaj,
Nagpur University (presently heading colleges in Gadchiroli)
confirmed the development to PTI stating that the varsity
received a letter from UGC recently mentioning that additional
funds would also be sanctioned if required.
"The funds have been initially granted for building and
employing staff. The classes will formally begin from our
sub-centre in Gadchiroli from this year and subsequently will
be transferred to new building after its completion," he said.
UGC envisaged this plan in 2006 which was later endorsed
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2007 stating that it will
cater to needs of students from backward districts so that
they get access to quality education, Yenkie said.
As per the UGC survey, Maharashtra has seven EBDs three
in Konkan and two in Vidarbha and one each in Marathwada and
Western Maharashtra. Of them, three districts have been
allott "We worked hard for getting these colleges in the state.
The UGC has sanctioned them at Hingoli, Jalna, apart from
Gadchiroli," sources close to Maharashtra Minister for Higher
and Technical Education Rajesh Tope, said.
However, the state still awaits the long cherished dream
of Gondwana University.
All these colleges would be constituent to the respective
universities and UGC would share one third of the total cost
while the state would chip in with remaining amount, they
said.
Yenkie credited entire NU team which took special efforts
in getting the prestigious project for Vidarbha. The proposal
was submitted to UGC on March 21. The UGC convened a high
level meeting on March 28 and funds were officially sanctioned
on April 8 through a letter by the UGC," he said.
After six decades of independence, Gadchiroli got its
first engineering college last year from Chandrapur-based
Potdukhe Group.
According to sources, the new model college would have
administrative building of 500 sq mt while academic building
would be spread over 3,000 sq mt.
The college would basically offer undergraduate courses
in Arts, Commerce and science faculties, they informed.
The campus would have state-of-the-art facilities like
seminar rooms, library, health centre, computer centre and
laboratories as well as quarters for faculty and hostels.
Ideally, the capacity of such college would be 100
students for each of Arts, Commerce and Science courses and
there would be one teacher for 20 students. However, the
strength can be increased as per needs of the area.
Even the non-teaching staff should be in pattern of 1:1
ratio as compared to teaching staff. The library should have a
minimum of thousand books and journals of which 100 should be
having different titles in each subject.
PTI
