Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) Scheme

Uttar Pradesh has secured a sum of ₹740 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) program, emerging as the highest recipient in the country.

About PM-USHA:

• PM-USHA is an evolution of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Education that aimed to enhance access, equity, and excellence in the higher education system.
  • The first and second phases of RUSA were launched in 2013 and 2018, respectively.
• Launched in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, PM-USHA aims to address key gaps and enhance the impact of higher education initiatives in India.

Focus Areas of PM-USHA:

Equity, Access, and Inclusion:

• PM-USHA prioritizes equity initiatives, gender inclusion, and providing opportunities to underprivileged groups.
• It aims to increase Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) by removing language barriers, promoting multilingualism, and enhancing accessibility across different courses.

Quality Teaching & Learning:

• PM-USHA emphasizes the development of a holistic education ecosystem by introducing innovative curricular structures, adaptable pedagogy, and continuous formative assessments.
• It supports the upgrading of physical and digital infrastructure, facilitates the conversion of single-stream institutions into multiple streams, and promotes faculty training to enhance teaching quality.

Accreditation of Institutions:

• Accreditation is crucial for maintaining higher standards and public trust in higher education institutions (HEIs).
• PM-USHA focuses on encouraging institutions to seek National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation and improve their NAAC grades.
• It aims to enhance accreditation standards by addressing key criteria such as curriculum, teaching-learning processes, faculty, research, infrastructure, governance, and student services.

ICT-based Digital Infrastructure:

• Recognizing the importance of technology, PM-USHA promotes the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to bridge language gaps, create digital libraries, and introduce Open Distance Learning (ODL) programs.
• It encourages institutions to provide Wi-Fi facilities, smart classes, and virtual labs.

Enhancing Employability:

• Collaboration between academia and industry is essential for fostering innovation and enhancing employability.
• PM-USHA establishes employment cells, facilitates linkages between academia and industry, and tracks employability outcomes through market-linked courses.

Alignment with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020:

• PM-USHA aligns with the five pillars of NEP 2020, namely accessibility, quality, equity, accountability, and affordability.
• It addresses challenges identified in the NEP, including a fragmented higher education ecosystem, limited access, rigid disciplinary boundaries, and insufficient emphasis on research.

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