Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA)
Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) a centrally sponsored programme, aims to work with 300-plus state universities and its affiliated colleges. Launched in 2013, the PM-USHA aims at providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions. The central funding is based on norms and is outcome dependent. Funds flow from the central ministry through the state governments/union territories before reaching the identified institutions. Funding to states would be made on the basis of the critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would enlist each state’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education. PM-USHA places greater emphasis on the improvement of the quality of teaching-learning processes in order to produce employable and competitive graduates, post-graduates and PhDs. Spread across two plan periods (XII and XIII), the programme focuses on state higher educational institutions and draws upon the best practices from colleges and universities across the nation.