It is a super week for Jadavpur University. After JU being selected as one of the 60 varsity to be given complete academic autonomy, the Union cabinet has approved to allot Rs 100 crore each to ten universities which have secured a score of 3.5 or above in the NAAC rating and 20 state universities that have been awarded autonomy will be given Rs 50 crore each. So if things go according to plan, JU is likely to be allotted funds to the tune of Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore.

JU vice-chancellor Suranjan Das said: "I sincerely thank MHRD minister Prakash Javadekar for the announcement. It will clear many misapprehensions about the necessity of the self-financing mode for innovative courses. The grant will certainly enable us to utilize the newly granted status and to attain newer heights of academic excellence.

But I think both state and central universities, particularly those under category I, should be provided with a uniform amount of financial assistance."
The VC has several plans. "The grant could be utilized to develop high-quality infrastructure, provide assistance to scholars, students, and faculty members, develop international academic networks and introduce new interdisciplinary socially relevant teaching-learning courses," the VC said.

However, Das added that the decision to utilize the fund has to be taken by the university community and not by the administration.

MHRD sources, however, said the amount will be allotted to improve the overall quality of higher education. A teacher in JU said the head of accounts will decide where the fund will be spent. If there is any condition attached to the disbursement then the university will have to follow it.