Data reveals collapse in UGC higher education funding; State universities hit hardest
Data from UGC annual reports indicates a significant decline in research funding for individual teachers and a widening disparity in how state universities are supported. The shift toward direct Ministry of Education funding has raised concerns about the future of academic research grants.
Why it matters
The collapse of research funding threatens the academic output and development of India's state-run higher education institutions.
While the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill drew controversy over the lack of a grant-giving function in the new agency, the question of grants that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been giving out has come under scrutiny.
The grants will be given directly by the Ministry of Education, which has said that feedback from the VBSA’s Regulatory Council on institutional performance will be the major factor determining fund quantum, with disbursal handled through mechanisms devised by the MoE rather than by the regulatory or academic councils.
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