HRD minister Pallam Raju inaugurates IUC in Kakinada

Stressing that Centre is committed toward providing quality education, Union HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju Sunday said Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abihyan (RUSA) for higher education, will spread over two plan periods.

"We are in second year of the 12th five year plan. The government is taking all necessary steps to provide quality education to all the youngsters in the country," Raju said after inaugurating the Inter University Centre for Teachers Education (IUC), at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) at Kakinada near here.

Kakinada is Lok Sabha constituency of Pallam Raju.

The Kakinada IUC is fourth such entity functioning within the university system in the country.

"For first time in the country, UGC has sanctioned Rs 150 crore for setting up IUC at JNTU in Andhra Pradesh," Raju said.

The minister informed that after setting up Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, the government is planning a Urdu commission for development of that language.

"Around 95 per cent of higher education in the country is being brought under RUSA," Raju informed.

RUSA, a Rs 90,000 crore flagship scheme for higher education, was approved by Cabinet last year. The scheme will focus on state higher educational institutions and pave the way for far reaching reforms at the state level.

A total of 316 state public universities and 13,024 colleges will be covered under RUSA.

Addressing the gathering, UGC chairman Ved Prakash said various steps were being taken under RUSA.

National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) Chairman Santosh Pandey said a staggering 95 per cent of teachers appearing for eligibility test are failing to clear it due to lack of training centres.

"IUC will help them by imparting modern techniques in education," he said.