Schemes for Minority Students Pursuing Higher Education

Schemes for Minority Students Pursuing Higher Education

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is dealing with two schemes namely, Community Colleges (CC) and B.Voc degree programme implemented in Universities and Colleges pertaining to skill based vocational education. Students including those from Minority Communities are admitted to the approved vocational courses in UGC supported Community Colleges/B.Voc degree programme in accordance with the reservation policy of Central/State Governments. Students are provided scholarship of Rs. 1000/- per month under the scheme of community colleges. UGC has no specific scheme for the students of Minorities community intending to pursue higher education including technical and vocational education.

However, UGC has formulated the following schemes for Minority Students intending to pursue Higher Education including Technical Education:

1. Establishment of Equal Opportunity Cells (EOC) for SC/ST/ OBC/Minorities:

To make Colleges and Universities more responsive to the needs and constraints of the disadvantaged social groups, the UGC has financed Institutions to establish Equal Opportunity Cells to oversee the effective implementation of policies and programmes for disadvantaged groups and to provide guidance and counseling in academic, financial, social and other matters. The Cell will also take up programmes to sensitize University/Colleges on problems faced by SC/ST/Minority categories in higher education.

2. Establishment of Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) for Minorities and SC/ST/Women in Universities:

The main objective is to establish Residential Coaching Academy in Universities and Colleges, for running schemes like ‘Coaching for students at Under Graduate/Post Graduate level’, ‘Coaching for students to prepare for National Eligibility Test (NET)’, ‘Coaching for students seeking entry in services covered under Central and State Governments’. The aim of these schemes is to prepare students for NET and all-India and State Services examinations and Under Graduate/Post Graduate level examinations. All the schemes are being supported with grants under Merged Schemes with General Development Grant Scheme.

3. Remedial Coaching schemes for SCs, STs, OBC (non-creamy layer), Minorities:

The UGC has been providing separate assistance during the XI Plan to the universities (i) for remedial coaching at Under Graduate/Post Graduate level (ii) coaching for entry into services (iii) coaching for NET to SC, ST and minority candidates to improve their status socially and educationally so that they can take their rightful place in the mainstream of the society.

This information was given by the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Smt. Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha question.