The higher education department has asked government-run and aided colleges and government-aided universities to send proposals for the procurement of laboratory equipment, computers and furniture and construction of additional classrooms.
The colleges have been asked to send proposals worth up to Rs 30 lakh to the office of the directorate of public instruction.
A senior official in the department said although they periodically seek such proposals, this time they want to help the colleges and the universities who need to upgrade their infrastructure following the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programme and the quota for the economically weaker sections at the undergraduate level.
The official said the rollout of the four-year programme and the reservation from the 2023-24 academic year would necessitate the upgrade of labs and construction of more classrooms.
A notice sent to colleges and universities states they may submit proposals with a budgetary quotation for buying laboratory equipment, books and journals, computers, and furniture for new classrooms, auditoriums and seminar rooms.
The notice also says the institutions may submit proposals for the construction of additional classrooms, seminar halls, boundary walls and other projects.
“The colleges could use this initiative for augmentation of their infrastructure, required for the smooth implementation of the four-year undergraduate programme and creating facilities for reservation under the economically weaker section categories. When the institutions send their proposals they are required to explain what the purposes are. Based on this, we prioritise administrative approval,” says the notice.
Boosting infrastructure for smooth rollout of the four-year undergraduate programme in compliance with a UGC directive has been a matter of concern for almost all educational institutions.
The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, Narendrapur, has appealed to its alumni for help so the college can improve “infrastructure” for efficient implementation of the four-year undergraduate programme.
Swami Mahaprajnandanda, principal of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur, told this newspaper on Tuesday that they would seek help from the government for the creation of additional infrastructure for the four-year programme.