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JNU set to get Centre’s nod for projects worth Rs 450 crore
New Delhi: The Union human resource development ministry is learnt to have decided in favour of approving projects worth Rs 450 crore for Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi: The Union human resource development ministry is learnt to have decided in favour of approving projects worth Rs 450 crore for Jawaharlal Nehru University which includes five new hostel blocks, building for its management school, an incubation centre and an advanced animal research building.
According to a person aware of the developments, the university had submitted a detailed plan, seeking a Rs 450-crore loan for setting up hostel complexes and other important infrastructure projects.
“The university has written to the HRD ministry seeking a Rs 450 crore loan for several key projects, including new hostels. The university had given a presentation about the projects. In a meeting held through video conferencing, the ministry has decided in favour of giving a go ahead to the proposals,” said the person cited above.
HRD secretary Amit Khare and JNU vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar were among those present in the meeting it is learnt.
Five hostel blocks for the students of JNU’s School of Engineering and Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship are among the proposals. The hostel complexes, according to varsity estimates, could cost over Rs 150 crore.
The JNU, which has over 8,000 students, already has 18 hostels and one complex for married students. In addition, the university has also sought these funds for a number of other projects including a trans-disciplinary academic and research building, an advanced instrumentation research facility building and an incubation centre building.
An Advanced Animal Research Building, expected to cost around Rs 20 crore and a trans-disciplinary academic and research building is also planned.
The university also plans to build a special e-learning centre. The development is significant as the HRD ministry has focused immensely on e-learning after the Covid-19 pandemic.
A lecture hall complex for students of social science departments is also among other proposed projects.
A senior university official said the outcome of the meeting was being awaited. We are awaiting communication in this regard, the official said. The HRD ministry had a couple of years back set up a Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) for providing loans to institutions to meet their infrastructure loans. The university has applied for a loan under HEFA.
Record registrations
Vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday said the university has received a record 135,462 applications, 22% higher than last year, for admission to various courses this year.
The university conducts an online entrance exam, known as the JNU Entrance Exam (JNUEE), in collaboration with National Testing Agency (NTA).
The university had last year received 108,982 application for admissions to several undergraduate, postgraduate, MPhil and PhD courses.
