UGC project for city universities hijacked
View(s):A proposed project by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to set up city universities in areas which do not have state universities has been hijacked by the Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Inventions State Ministry.
The move came as the UGC was in the process of implementing the project by making preparations to recruit staff, identify lands and transfer state lands etc. Obtaining funding too had been discussed.
However, the preparations for the project have now been gazetted under the Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Inventions State Ministry, of which the State Minister is Dr. Seetha Arambepola.
Under the project the UGC, with the support of 14 professors were making preparations for the past one year to implement the project, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) too had praised the UGC for the progress in preparations to implement the project. The city universities project was to be implemented in ten districts, so students would be able to enter a university in their respective area of residence.
The project was to cost Rs. three billion for one university and 1000 students were to be enrolled to each university. After the State Ministry took over the project they had sought the UGC’s help with implementation, the Education Times learned. However, Education ministry sources said the UGC was now reluctant to assist the project after it was sidelined.