By IANS
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday announced the setting up of a central university in each of the 28 states and degree college in every district to meet the increasing enrolment and improving access to higher education.
Chairing a meeting to review the state of higher education in the country, he said the government would set up at least one Central University in every state and assist state governments to ensure that there is at least one degree college in every district, Sanjaya Baru, media advisor to the prime minister told reporters after the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and University Grants Commission Chairman S K Thorat.
Manmohan Singh said each central university should become a symbol of excellence, a model of efficiency and an example in terms of academic standards and university governance for other State Universities to emulate.
He reiterated his commitment to offer more scholarships to increase the gross enrolment rate at the college level.