BIE offers sop to 'incentive junior colleges'

HYDERABAD: As part of efforts to encourage higher education in rural areas, the Board of Intermediate Education will no longer levy an initial inspection fee on incentive junior colleges (institutions which get government funds at the rate of Rs 1,000 per student).
The initial inspection fee charged from private junior college managements ranges from Rs 5,000 (rural areas) to Rs 15,000 (urban centres).
This has been relaxed for incentive junior colleges by Rs 1,000 last year. From this year onwards, the BIE has decided not to levy any initial inspection fee on incentive junior college managements in rural areas, BIE joint secretary A Rajendra Prasad said.
However, the minimum fixed deposit, which college managements have to deposit in banks to meet developmental requirements and other regulations, would continue, he told The Times of India.
Apart from the existing 89 incentive junior colleges in rural areas, 47 more have been sanctioned this year, retaining the relaxed minimum requirements to house college building.
Added to that, they will be exempted from paying even the initial inspection fee from this year. Of the 380 mandals in rural areas, the sanction for incentive junior colleges has already been given in 142 mandals and 93 mandals would be covered by next academic year, he said.
A five-member screening committee has been constituted to decide on granting permission to start incentive junior colleges.
The government grants Rs 1,000 per student to junior college managements who get the incentive tag.