National

Cabinet nod for plan on Central universities

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the Human Resource Development Ministry’s proposal to take the ordinance route to expedite the establishment of Central universities in States which don’t have them. This option is being exercised as Parliament was unable to pass the Central Universities Bill, 2008 in the last session. The Bill – introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 23 — seeks to convert four universities into Central universities and set up such universities in 12 other States.

As a number of preparatory measures need to be taken to operationalise the proposed universities for the next academic session, the government view is that circumstances mandate immediate action. Besides the provisions of the Bill, the proposed ordinance will also include the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s recommendation against converting Goa University into a Central university. In view of the Goa Government’s observation that the conversion of the university will not be in the interest of the State, the Standing Committee had recommended that the Centre drop the proposal.

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