DAVV seeks Rs 28 crore from UGC for courses

A Rs 28 crore plan has been prepared by the Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidyalaya (DAVV) for presenting before the Union Grants Commission (UGC) to obtain funds under the 11th Five Year plan. Vice Chancellor Dr Rajkamal will be leaving for Delhi with the proposals on November 30.

Dr Rajkamal gave the broad outline of the plan proposals covering key sectors including adult education, starting several new courses, opening of several new centres for excellence, constructing hostels and purchasing books.
Rs 2 crore have been sought for starting eight new diploma courses under adult education. Students would be able to obtain admission into these courses directly after completion of Higher Secondary (12th).

The courses include Diamond and Jewellery Design, Clay Modelling and Idol Designing, Woodcraft and Furniture Designing, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Child Development and Guidance and Folk Music and Dance.

Five new courses are also planned to be started under the adult education head. Courses include MBA in Forest Management and Energy Resource Management, M Tech in water resources and in Spatial Information Technology. Courses on Bio Informatics and Applied Engineering in Mathematics will also be started.

Rs 7 crore have been sought for equipment/faculty, another Rs 7 crore for building, Rs 4 crore for already running programmes for developing the various centres. A Centre for poor students for preparation of completive exams and, personality development/ communication skills, Centre for business studies, Centre for women studies, Centre for Gandhian studies, Centre for socially reclusive persons form this segment of the proposal plan.

Rs 2 crore allotment has been sought for construction of a new boys and girls hostel. These would be 350-bed and 300-bed facilities, respectively. Rs 50 lakh have been issued already under the 10th plan and a similar sum is expected in this plan after which utilisation of the fund would begun. Rs 1 crore will be sought for purchasing books for the library. Dr Rajkamal said that though the plan is for Rs 22 crore, he believes that the university will get at least Rs 16 crore.

The university had only received Rs 3.5 crore during the 9th and 10th plans and the presently drawn up figure is not much considering that it suffices for a five-year period in which universities are expected to make do with the sum allotted. He conceded that UGC vice chairman Mulchand Sharma impressed with the resolve of the university to start several new projects had suggested the idea of giving a proposal of five times the sum wanted thus ensuring funding very near to the initial amount wanted.

Dr Rajkamal said, “The financial position of the Centre is sound at the moment and UGC has much money in its coffers, thanks to educational cess taken on Income Tax and petroleum products amongst others. In such a scenario the chances of getting value for money on the projects proposed becomes a high possibility.”