The Cabinet which met here today under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, approved introduction of Kashmir and Jammu Cluster Universities Bill 2015 and proposal for creation of 124 posts of different categories for both Cluster Universities.The Bill proposes to establish two Cluster Universities in the state, one each at Jammu and Srinagar under centrally sponsored scheme RUSA.The Cluster Universities will provide opportunity to large number of students to pursue various post graduate, under graduate and diploma courses in different streams and subjects through regular mode.In another significant decision aimed at granting financial autonomy to the state’s Universities and to ensure efficient utilisation of resources, the State Cabinet accorded approval to the grant of block grant to the Universities which will fund salary, pension, pensionery benefits of the sanctioned faculty and administrative staff. Along with this, there will be a provision for a maximum increase of up to 10% every year.
The Universities will be free to decide how to spend the allocated money based on its own internal allocation mechanism and according to what it intends to achieve.The Universities will decide about the amount of tuition fees, besides the Universities have also been allowed to retain all internally generated resources through paid courses, collection of fees and forms, etc.The Universities have also been allowed to generate and retain funding from sources other than the government and to allocate them independently.While the management of financial issues will be left in the hands of the University or its various bodies, the government will focus on establishing broad guidelines and policy issues. The Universities will have to review and put in place a robust accountability mechanism.