Delhi govt gives ₹100cr for 12 state-funded DU colleges

Education minister Atishi said for the financial year 2023-24, an amount of ₹400 crore has been allocated by the government

The Delhi government has released ₹100 crore in the first quarter for 12 Delhi University colleges funded by it, higher education minister Atishi.

Delhi education minister Atishi addresses a press conference at Delhi Secretariat, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

“The 12 colleges of Delhi University play an important role in higher education in Delhi as they to provide education to girls in rural areas of the city Delhi,” Atishi said while speaking at a press conference.

The minister said for the financial year 2023-24, an amount of ₹400 crore has been allocated by the government. “Out of this, ₹100 crore has been released for the first quarter,” Atishi said.

Speaking about the allocation of funds in the last eight years, Atishi said, “In 2014-15, these colleges were allocated ₹132 crore. Now in 2023-24, the allocation has increased threefold to ₹400 crore. There are issues of financial mismanagement in these colleges, but the Kejriwal government has decided that the teachers and students should not suffer due to management or administrative flaws.”

The minister added some colleges are undergoing audits and that strict action will be taken if any financial irregularities are found in any college.

The 12 colleges funded by the Delhi government are Acharya Narendra Dev College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bhagini Nivedita College, Bhaskaracharya College, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Maharaja Agrasen College, Maharshi Valmiki College of Education, Shaheed Rajguru College, and Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.

In the past, these 12 colleges have been at the loggerheads with the Delhi government over the delay in the release of grants. An official from one of the colleges, who did not want to be named, told HT on Wednesday that salaries for the last two months have not been paid to the staff because the Delhi government did not release the funds on time. “The delay of salaries is a frequent phenomenon at the 12 colleges,” the official said.