HRD ministry to set up 120 community colleges

Tharoor asks firms to fund university research

The human resource development ministry will set up 120 community colleges, based on community colleges in the US, to provide academic and vocational training.

"We are looking to set up 200 community colleges. The target is to set up 120 this year," Shashi Tharoor, minister of state for human resource development, said.

Tharoor said the ministry was doing a pilot project to provide vocational training across high schools in three states. India has a gross enrolment ratio of 19 as compared to a global average of 29. Tharoor urged the corporate to fund research at universities. "In the US, 75 per cent of the research across universities is provided by the private sector."