UGC submits draft Bill for new central varsities

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has said it has submitted the detailed concept paper and a draft Bill for setting up 16 new central universities to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

"We have already sent the concept paper and the draft of the Bill to the ministry. We have taken Jawaharlal Nehru University and University of Hyderabad as the referral universities based on which the new universities will be set up. Now, the ministry will decide on this," UGC Chairman Sukhadeo Thorat told Business Standard.

Last month, HRD Minister Arjun Singh announced the states in which the new universities would be set up during the 11th Plan period. Currently, there are 16 states which do not have such universities. In three states, existing state universities will be taken over by the central government.

These are Dr Hari Singh Gaur University, Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), and Goa University.

Thorat said the UGC was also working on setting up 14 world-class universities. "The committee set up for the purpose is looking into various aspects of how these universities should be. Though we are not thinking of taking one university as a model or any tie-ups as of now, we are looking at top five or six universities in the world like Harvard, Cambridge etc.," Thorat said.

The world-class universities are mostly coming up in state capitals and other developed cities. To a question as to why these are being set up in already-developed areas, HRD Minister Arjun Singh said, "It has been considered necessary that these are located in or near the selected large cities which would automatically have the kind of connectivity and infrastructure that such universities will need."

According to officials, each new IIT would require about Rs 760 crore while Rs 250 crore would be needed for setting up an IIM. At least Rs 250-300 crore (including recurring and non-recurring costs over four to five years) are needed for a central university.