States like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura have very few universities, colleges and institutes offering higher and professional education. The thick forest and lack of proper funding make things even more difficult for improving higher education system in these regions. These were some of the grievances raised at the recently All-India conference of higher education ministers on the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). It is a tedious job to set up a college in these areas which is 60% covered by forest. Moreover it requires atleast two years to get approval for the land and the state government has to pay the market value for it, says Bipradas Palit, director, higher education, Tripura.
RUSA has come up as a ray of hope for various states grappling with the problem of higher education. The flagship scheme focusing on state universities and institutions through a central plan has brought together many stakeholders in higher education from various states. Naxal-affected states and states with a high percentage of SC, ST and tribal population will get the priority in fund allocation under RUSA.
