The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) will fund a ₹240-crore proposal of the Cochin University of Science and Technology to set up a laboratory of international standards. A detailed project of ₹350 crore is being prepared for betterment of basic amenities in 52 government arts and science colleges, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has said.
He was presenting the State Budget for 2017-18 in the Assembly on Friday.
The universities in the State would get a non-Plan allocation of ₹1,298.8 crore and a Plan allocation of ₹381.80 crore. The budget has set aside ₹15 crore for the Kerala State Higher Education Council; the council will supervise the rollout of the Rashtriya Uchchathar Shisksha Abhiyan, which has an outlay of ₹207 crore. The budget has allocated ₹430 crore for the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme.
Education loan aid scheme
In order to prevent attachment of property due to default in repayment of education loans, the government would put in place an education loan repayment support scheme wherein the government would support the poor whose loans have become NPA, by providing 60% of the base amount of the loan.
General education
As part of the education protection mission, a plan has already been initiated to convert 40,000 classrooms into hi-tech ones. A sum of ₹1,000 crore has been provided to the KIIFB to upgrade one school in each Assembly constituency as a centre of excellence. A sum of ₹500 crore would be earmarked for improving infrastructure in all schools which have more than 1,000 students.
Posts with full workload would be sanctioned for existing batches and new schools in the higher secondary sector. It is estimated that more than 2,500 posts of teaches would have to be created.
