Centre plans to set up 65 polytechnic colleges

The government is planning to set up 65 polytechnic colleges in the 65 socially and educationally-backward districts of the country in the 11th Plan period with an investment of Rs 800 crore.

The central government is also planning to upgrade the infrastructure in 185 existing polytechnics in the Special Focused Districts over this period.

This is the first attempt of its kind by the Government of India as polytechnics are usually set up by state governments.

But once in place, the management and other provisions like seats, curriculum will be managed by the state authorities.

"The proposed polytechnics will be coming up in the specially identified districts with a high concentration of SC, ST and minorities, where no polytechnics exist at present," an official in the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development told Business Standard. The colleges have been recommended by a high powered committee on skill development.

The government will grant an amount of Rs 12.3 crore for each of the 65 new polytechnics, totalling to Rs 799.50 crore.

The allocation will take care of the non-recurring costs like buildings of these institutes, the official said.

The respective state governments wherever the polytechnics are coming up have to provide the land and take care of the recurring costs there after.

The proposal amounting to Rs 800 crore has been approved by the Ministry of Finance and would be taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs soon.

Simultaneously, the Government of India will implement a programme for upgrading of infrastructure in the existing polytechnics in 185 special focused districts with an allocation of Rs 40 lakh for each of these institutes, the official said.