THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A total of 120 teacher posts will be created in government colleges across the state in the current academic year itself, if the Kerala State Higher Education Council’s (KSHEC) ‘Higher Education Plan’ gets the Centre’s approval.
Central funds are sought for creation of teacher posts (Rs 6.96 crore), setting up two polytechnics (Rs 95.79 crore), allocation for Kerala State Assessment and Accreditation Council (Rs 9 crore) and setting up a faculty training academy (Rs 6 crore).
“The creation of teaching posts is necessary as new courses will be introduced in government colleges in this period,’’ KSHEC Executive Council member R Jayaprakah said. The creation of another 200 permanent teaching posts in aided colleges has also been proposed in the council’s subsequent annual plans.
KSHEC had recently submitted the Higher Education Plan for the Twelfth Plan period to the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) Mission Authority. While the Centre foots 65 per cent of the funds, the remaining is funded by the state government.
While they have demanded Rs 1338.84 crore for entire Plan period till 2017, Rs 375 crore will be sought for the 2014-15 period. Of the Rs 375 crore, Rs 91.25 crore will be utilised exclusively for the development of 64 government colleges.
“During the 2014-15 period, only government colleges have been included. Assistance to aided colleges will begin from the second phase onwards,’’ KSHEC member-secretary P Anvar said. “Issues relating to the setting up of model colleges in Kasaragod, Wayanad, Palakkad and Malappuram have also been resolved,’’ he said.
KSHEC vice-chairperson T P Sreenivasan said that the State Government designated the council as the implementing agency of RUSA only on July 15. “Though there wasn’t much time, the council was able to prepare an elaborate plan for the Twelfth Plan Period,’’ he said. The council has demanded funds under 18 components laid out by RUSA. The major heads include: infrastructure grants to colleges (Rs 506 crore), support to polytechnics (Rs 145.79 crore), infrastructure grants to universities and research innovation and quality improvement (Rs 120 crore each).
Other major proposals include setting up of a Faculty training academy on the lines of the Civil Services Academy in Mussorie, setting up of a research university, conversion of top autonomous and cluster colleges into universities.