Cabinet nod for initiation of 2nd phase of TEQIP

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the proposal for initiation of the second phase of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP).

The total project expenditure is Rs.2430 crore, in which the World Bank contribution is Rs.1395.50 crore, the Government of India contribution (as per 11th Five Year Plan) is Rs.500 crore, the States' contribution is Rs.518.50 crore and private unaided institutions contribution is Rs.16 crore.

The major benefits of the project are strengthening of institutions with improved learning outcomes and employability of graduates, scaled-up post graduate education and demand-driven R&D and innovation, establishment of Centres of Excellence and imparting of pedagogical training to the faculty, an official press release said.

The project will be implemented in pursuance of the National Policy on Education (NPE-1986 revised in 1992) through the Ministry of Human Resource Development as a "Centrally Sponsored Scheme" with matching contribution from State Governments and Union Territories (UTs).

The project will be open for competition and participation by all the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) approved engineering institutions from all States / Union Territories across the country. An estimated 200 engineering institutions including the Centrally Funded Institutions (CFIS) such as National Institutes of Technology (NITs) will be competitively selected along with a small number of eligible private unaided institutions. The project will also support universities which affiliate project institutions.

TEQIP was envisaged in 2003 as a long-term programme of about 10-12 years duration to be implemented in three phases for transformation of the technical education system in the country with World Bank assistance. The first phase was envisaged in 2003 and ended on March 31, 2009, covering 127 institutions in 13 States. TEQIP-II is planned as a sequel project, the release added.

NNN