Eight Colleges Selected by UGC for CPE Scheme

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has selected eight city colleges for the College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) scheme. The goal is to improve and strengthen its infrastructure to achieve higher academic standards and for the same, substantial funds will be provided to them.

Some of the colleges selected under this scheme are HR, KPB Hinduja, Khalsa, KJ Somaiya MP Shah Women's College, Nanavati College of Home Science and Bandodkar College. Each of this college will be provided Rs 1.5 crores.

Colleges can get the CPE status and if they achieve their targets by the end of three years, they are awarded the title of 'Colleges with Excellence'.

Earlier, Ramnarain Ruia, St Xavier's, Birla, were also given grants under the same scheme and have been granted the 'Colleges with Excellence’ status.

Out of 350 total colleges, the UGC has selected 124 colleges in the country for the scheme, 28 of which are from Maharashtra. Vaijayanti Ranade, vice-principal of Khalsa College, said the UGC gives a lot of funding to the science faculty, but this funding is beneficial as it covers arts and commerce too. "It covers undergraduate as well as postgraduate studies and aims at developing a research culture in the college. Each department has to pick up a topic relevant to their subject and carry out research activities," said Ranade.

TA Shiware, director (education), KPB Hinduja College, said that a lot of 'only-commerce' colleges have been selected from the state this time under the scheme. "The fund mainly has to be used for research and consultancy activities in the college," he said.