HIGHER EDUCATION EXPENSION

The University Grants Commission, UGC, has come up with an action plan to increase the enrolment of students in higher education from the existing 10 to 15 percent by 2012. The plan envisages increasing the gross enrolment ratio, GER, the percentage of youth in the age group of 18 to 23 in higher education during the 11th Five year plan.the proposed 30 new universities and 370 colleges will soon be set up in states and the districts where the GER is lower than the All India average.The UGC has earmarked 870 crore rupees for expanding the infrastructure in the existing over 20 Central universities for implementing 27 per cent OBC quota, which has been given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court.