Assistance for Higher Education

Assistance for Higher Education

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been implementing a number of schemes like (i) National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (OBC) Candidates (ii)  National Fellowship for Higher Education of Schedule Tribe (ST) Students (iii) Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for SC Candidates (iv) Post-Doctoral Fellowship for SC/ST Candidates (v) PG Scholarship for Professional Courses for SC/ST Candidates (vi) Fellowships for Women Candidates for the welfare of women, people from weaker sections, differently abled and financially weaker sections for pursuing Higher Education. 

The Women Candidates and Persons with Disability (PWD) (more than 40% disability) are allowed a relaxation of one year for M.Phil and two years for Ph.D in maximum duration of these courses; allowing transfer of research data in case of relocation of an M.Phil/Ph.D woman scholar due to marriage or otherwise; and allowing women candidates maternity leave/child-care leave once in the entire duration of M.Phil./Ph.D for up to 240 days. Further, the UGC is implementing post-doctoral fellowship for women candidates (un-employed); Swami Vivekananda single girl child scholarship for research in social sciences  and PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship for single girl child for postgraduate courses to promote the enrolment of women at post- doctoral, doctoral and its feeder levels.  

Further, the UGC is providing funds for Remedial Coaching for SC/ST/OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) and Minority Community Students with a view to (i) improve academic skills and linguistic proficiency of the students in various subjects (ii) raise their level of comprehension of basic subjects to provide a stronger foundation for further academic work; and (iii) strengthen their knowledge, skills and attitudes in such subjects, where quantitative and qualitative techniques and laboratory activities are involved so that proper guidance and training provided under the programme may enable the students to come up to the level necessary for pursuing higher studies efficiently.

It has also been informed that these are ongoing schemes in which the institution ensures proper implementation of the scheme and all payments are made by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. These payments are routed through Public Financial Management Scheme (PFMS), a robust system for ensuring transparency in the system.

Further, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has been operating a Central Sector Interest Subsidy Scheme, 2009 which provides full Interest Subsidy for the period of moratorium (course period + 1 year) on educational loans taken by students from economically weaker sections with annual parental income up to Rs.4.5 lakh, from scheduled banks under the Educational Loan Scheme of the Indian Banks' Association to pursue Technical/Professional courses in India.

This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Satya Pal Singh today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.

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Report on pay hike of teachers

Report on pay hike of teachers

Minister of State for HRD Shri Mahendra Nath Pandey said in a written reply in Parliament on 23rd March 2017 that he Pay review Committee constituted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for pay revision of academic staff of Universities and Colleges has submitted its report and the same is under consideration of the Central Government. The modalities to implement the revised scales in State Universities will be decided after approval of Central Cabinet in this regard.

UGC: Pay panel hike for 20%

UGC: Pay panel hike for 20%

New Delhi/ Hyderabad: The University Grants Commission (UGC) at a meeting held on February 22 reportedly cleared the recommendations of the 5-member committee that looked into the pay revision for university and college teachers across the country. The report is now with the Ministry of Human Resources Development for its approval. The ministry is yet to look into the report as the elections to several state assemblies are being held.

Sources from the UGC told The Hans India that the committee has reportedly recommended a 20 per cent hike in the basic pay of university and college teachers. As the existing Dearness Allowance will be merged in the basic pay, the hike is likely to be around 25 per cent to 30 per cent, including the HRA depending on the cadre and the seniority.

Monthly salary for university/college teachers (in Rs)

Post	Current starting pay	Proposed pay
Professor	1,23,000	1,44,000
Associate professor	1,07,000	1,26,000
Assistant professor	50,000	59,000

*Figures include basic salary, academic grade pay and DA

The pay commission has reportedly recommended a performance linked promotion system with an emphasis on research. There is no change in the retirement age. The present UGC panel has also recommended the retirement age of university and college teachers to be 65 years. But, several state governments have not implemented even the earlier panel's recommendation to this effect. The state governments took advantage of the fact that higher education is in the concurrent list.

The proposed hike will be applicable to around 30, 000 teachers in Central universities and over four lakh in State varsities and colleges across the country .The last pay revision took place in 2006. The panel has reportedly suggested implementation of new pay scales with retrospective effect from January 2016 as the Central pay revision takes place every ten years while the State government pay scales are revised every five years.

Similar to the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the Central government employees, the UGC panel has recommended that a teacher's starting package to be revised by a multiplier of 2.72, applied to the basic salary and academic grade pay (AGP). The Seventh Pay Commission, whose report was accepted last year for civil servants and other central staff, had used the 2.72 multiplier.

The 5-member UGC panel was headed by Prof V S Chauhan.Speaking to The Hans India from Patna, Prof Arun Kumar, general secretary of All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (AIFUCTO), urged the UGC to make the report public immediately. The teachers of the universities and colleges across India are aghast that they have been deliberately kept in the dark about such a sensitive and important issue, the AIFUCTO leader said in a recent press release.

The UGC panel reportedly urged the Central government to meet the 100 per cent additional financial requirement for the implementation of new UGC scales for university and college teachers. However, though the last pay commission in 2006 made a similar recommendation, the Central government has given only 80 per cent and asked the State governments concerned to bear the remaining 20 per cent of additional financial requirements for implementing the new scales for teachers in State universities and colleges.

Speaking to The Hans India, Prof Battu Satyanarayana, chairman, Telangana Federation of University Teachers Associations, urged the UGC to release special grants to State universities to implement the revised UGC scales.

Proposed Changes in UPSC Examination

Proposed Changes in UPSC Examination

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) have submitted a proposal to the Central Government suggesting certain changes in the existing scheme of Civil Services (Main) Examination to make it more relevant with the present day, global as well as internal scenario on the basis of the report of a committee, constituted by the Commission under the chairmanship of Prof. Arun S.Nigavekar, former Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC).

Till now, no decision has been taken by the Government on these recommendations.

This was stated by Shri V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office in written reply to a question by Shri Avinash Pande in the Rajya Sabha today.

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