Arjun Singh

New Delhi, July 22: The Centre plans to fund a third of the cost of setting up new higher educational institutions built by states under a unique scheme to be unveiled by human resource development minister Arjun Singh tomorrow.

The minister will inform state education ministers about the scheme at the annual conference between the central and state HRD departments, top government officials said.

This will be the first time that the Centre plans to finance new universities or institutes of excellence built by states. At present, the University Grants Commission only funds existing state universities — that, too, partially.

The HRD ministry has set aside Rs 6,200 crore from its allocation under the eleventh five-year plan for the scheme, ministry officials said. This plan period runs from 2007 to 2012.

“This is the first time the Centre is formally recognising its inability to build adequate higher educational institutions to meet achievement targets we have ourselves set. This is an attempt to involve the states,” a senior official in the ministry said.

Under the plan, which was approved last December by the National Development Council, the Centre has set the target of increasing higher education enrolment in the age group of 18-24 years by 5 per cent.

The agenda paper for tomorrow’s conference also lists a discussion on the scheme to get the “considered views” of states.

A recently approved UGC scheme for one-time assistance to some state universities and private ones governed by states will also be discussed.