Rs. 500 crore for college infrastructure.

With a view to putting in place advanced infrastructure in all government engineering colleges and 52 government arts and science colleges, the budget has set aside Rs.500 crore from the special fiscal fund.

In order to convert University College, Thiruvananthapuram, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, Kerala Varma College, Thrissur, Victoria College, Palakkad, and Brennen College, Thalassery, into digital colleges, the budget has set aside Rs.150 crore.

While Rs.24.6 crore has been set aside for the University of Kerala, Rs.23.5 crore for Calicut University, Rs.23.75 crore for Mahatma Gandhi University, Rs.14 crore for Sanskrit University, Rs.23.7 crore for Kannur University, and Rs.6.5 crore for NUALS, Rs.7.65 crore has been set aside for Malayalam University. This, the budget speech notes, is wholly inadequate.

The Kerala State Higher Education Council will be asked to prepare a document on enhancing financial aid to universities in the State. Public expenditure on the higher education sector will be increased substantially in the coming years, the budget promises.

A comprehensive programme for setting up centres of higher learning and research centres will be drawn up.

Of the Rs.25 crore set aside for the infrastructure upgrade programme, Rs.10 crore will be for the School of Performing Arts and Culture announced in the budget of 2011. While Rs.10 crore will be for an archives section, Rs.5 crore will be for museums.

Even though it is not possible to sanction new courses or colleges in today’s financial situation, two PG courses each are being sanctioned in government colleges in the plantation sectors of Kalpetta, Munnar, and Kattapana, the budget speech reads.

Education loans recently resemble a debt trap. Banks should show readiness to declare a repayment moratorium till the candidate is employed. In the case of those working in the non-formal sector, no more than one-fourth of their salary should be levied as repayment. If banks agree to settle loans if the principal amount in arrears alone is repaid, the government is willing to help in the repayment of education loans, the budget notes and sets aside Rs.100 crore for this. For the technical education sector, the budget has set aside Rs. 235 crore. While Rs. 21 crore has been allocated for Cusat, the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University has been allocated Rs. 30 crore.

Of the Rs.17.3 crore allocated for infrastructure development in engineering colleges, Rs. 10 crore will be utilised for an apprenticeship scheme for those undergoing training under the ASAP scheme.

THE HINDU