Bengal to get 3 new universities in next 2 years, announces Mitra

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government's emphasis on education received a major boost with state Finance minister Amit Mitra announcing on Monday that the state will have three new universities in the next two years.

The state has proposed to make an allocation of Rs 50 crore in the next financial year for the same, said Mitra in his budget speech.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state government will set up centres to coach students for state civil service and other competitive examinations organised by the union public service commission (UPSC).

"Three new universities, namely Birsa Munda University at Jhargram, Ambedkar University in an SC-dominated area and another university for advancement of education among OBCs will be established in the next two years. We are allocating Rs 50 crore for this purpose in the next financial year," Mitra said.

Mitra said that in the span of last eight years, the number of universities in the state has increased from 12 to 42, including the new Harichand Guruchand University at Thakurnagar, with a branch at Krishnanagar for the Matua community. Aliah University has come up for the development of Muslims, Hindi University at Howrah for the benefit of Hindi speaking people, Darjeeling Hill University, Mahatma Gandhi University at East Midnapore and a women's university at South 24-Parganas. Enrolment in higher education institutions rose from 13.24 lakh in 2011 to 20.36 lakh in 2018, while gross enrolment ratio in higher education rose from 12.4 in 2011 to 18.70 in 2018. Meanwhile, female gender ratio in higher education enrolment rose from 42 percent in FY 2011 to 47.3 percent in FY 2017.