New Delhi: The Lok Sabha passed the Central Universities
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 with a voice vote to establish a central
university and a tribal university in Andhra Pradesh.

The bill,
which also seeks an amendment to the Central Universities Act, 2009, was
introduced by Minister for Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal
on Monday.

Participating
in the debate on the Bill, Congress MP K. Suresh claimed that
percentage of expenditure on education had been reduced under the NDA
government while YSR Congress Party’s L.S. Krishna Devarayalu urged that
more funds be allocated towards building of Central universities and
research programmes in these universities.

Biju Janata Dal’s Bhartruhari Mahatab enquired about the problem of shortage of faculty in new higher educational institutions.

A Bill seeking to establish two new universities — the Central
University and the Central Tribal University in Andhra Pradesh — was on
Friday passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha.

The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was moved as the
establishment of a Central University and a Central Tribal University in
Andhra Pradesh was obligatory under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation
Act, 2014.

“The universities will be set up with a cost of Rs 1,700 crore in
four years in Andhra Pradesh. In the first phase, Rs 450 crore will be
provided for the Central University and Rs 420 crore for the Central
Tribal University,” Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal
Nishank said replying to the debate on the Bill.

He said the government has accorded high priority to strengthen the
education system in the country, for which the government has increased
the budget of education from Rs 67,000 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 95,000
crore this year.

The Minister said the establishment of the two universities in Andhra
Pradesh will increase access and quality of higher education and also
facilitate and promote avenues of higher education and research
facilities for the people of the State.

Tribal University will promote advance knowledge by providing
instructional and research facilities in tribal art, culture and customs
and advancement in technology to the tribal population of India, he
said.

“Apart from being focused on tribal education, the Central Tribal
University shall carry out all educational and other activities like any
other Central University,” he added.

TDP’s K Ram Mohan Naidu said that the existing institutions in Andhra
Pradesh have not been run well and lack the necessities, which make
them function properly.

YSRCP’s Lavu Devarayalu urged the government to allocate more funds
towards the building of the Central universities and sought the
introduction of more courses and research programmes in these
universities.

“More funds need to be allocated to the Eklavya schools in tribal
areas so that the students who eventually go to the tribal university
have a strong foundation,” he said.

Participating in the debate, BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the
sprouting of coaching institutions have hampered higher education.

He also urged the government to grant the central university status to Jai Prakash Narayan university and Patna University.