The West Bengal government on Tuesday announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening higher education, ranging from relief for thousands of State Aided College Teachers (SACT-II) to fresh investments in Sanskrit education, merit scholarships and university infrastructure.
Replying to a discussion in the Assembly, Bengal Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay said the government would provide an opportunity to SACT-II teachers who do not possess UGC-prescribed qualifications such as NET, SET or PhD to acquire these qualifications while continuing in service.
According to the minister, the state currently has around 13,000 State Aided College Teachers, of whom nearly 55 per cent belong to the SACT-II category. These teachers were earlier engaged as part-time teachers (PTTs), contractual whole-time teachers (CWTTs) or guest lecturers in government-aided colleges before being brought under the SACT-II category under the state’s policy. Many of them do not possess the qualifications prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), including NET, SET or a PhD.
The minister said the government would create a framework enabling these teachers to obtain the required qualifications, a move expected to benefit several thousand faculty members serving in aided colleges across the state.
The government also announced a renewed thrust on Sanskrit education. Chattopadhyay said Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for the upgradation of Sanskrit College and University and the promotion of Sanskrit spoken language.
In addition, scholarships will be provided to 2,58,288 students, from Class XI to research scholars, to encourage the study of Sanskrit and support higher education. To promote academic excellence, the minister proposed the introduction of a Swami Vivekananda Merit Scholarship.
Under the scheme, students securing admission to the top 100 universities in the world, as per the QS World University Rankings, for undergraduate or master’s programmes will receive financial assistance covering tuition fees and health insurance. Meritorious students admitted to premier national institutions for undergraduate or postgraduate studies will also receive tuition fee support.
The government has allocated Rs 100 crore for the scheme. Chattopadhyay further announced that Jadavpur University would be developed as an Institute of Eminence, with a total investment of Rs 1,250 crore over five years, including Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre and Rs 250 crore from the state government.
The university will also establish an Institute of Excellence and Entrepreneurship (CoEE) to promote technology innovation, research and start-up incubation in collaboration with universities and institutions across West Bengal. The project has an estimated cost of Rs 65 crore, of which the state’s contribution will be Rs 5 crore.
Outlining the state’s long-term vision for higher education, the minister said the government is also planning to facilitate the establishment of world-class IIT and IIM institutions in North Bengal, aimed at expanding access to premier technical and management education in the region.