Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan

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Context: The Ministry of Education has announced the continuation of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) till 2026.

About Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA):

Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) or National Higher Education Mission was launched in 2013 under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (last year renamed as Ministry of Education).
RUSA is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the central funding (in the ratio of 60:40 for general category States, 90:10 for special category states and 100% for union territories)
It aims to create new model degree colleges, new professional colleges and provide infrastructural support to existing universities and colleges.
Governance reform is central to the scheme.
Faculty recruitment support, faculty improvements programmes and leadership development of educational administrators are also an important part of the scheme.
Adoption of accreditation (certification of efficiency) as a mandatory quality assurance framework
The Central Project Appraisal Board monitors the academic, administrative and financial initiatives taken under the scheme.
Mandatory National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for ensuring regular assessment of all the institutions.

Objectives of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA):

Improve access, equity and quality in higher education through planned development of higher education at the state level.
Creating new academic institutions, expanding and upgrading the existing ones.
Improve education quality, promote research and provide students with education that is relevant to them as well as for the nation.
Improve the overall quality of state institutions by prescribing norms and standards.
Ensure reforms in the affiliation, academic and examination systems
Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty in all higher educational institutions and promote capacity building at all levels of employment
Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher educational institutions to promote research and innovation.
Correct the regional imbalances in terms of access to higher education by setting up institutions in un-served and underserved areas of the country.
Improve equality in higher education by providing adequate opportunities of higher education to SC/STs and socially and educationally backward classes.
Promote inclusion of women, minorities, and differently abled persons

Way forward:

RUSA can prove to be a real game changer for higher education in the country. It has prioritized the country’s needs, by ensuring adequate funding to institutions it has improved the infrastructure, and also reformed the administration and management of the institutions.