A historic initiative to promote excellence, innovation and inclusiveness in the higher education sector. The policy will boost private investment, expand educational opportunities – Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay
Greater Noida / Lucknow: The first edition of India Education Expo 2024 was inaugurated in Greater Noida, in which the state’s Higher Education Promotion Policy 2024 was launched. This policy is a historic initiative to promote excellence, innovation and inclusiveness in the higher education sector of the state.
State Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay attended as the chief guest. The event is running from 11 to 13 November 2024, which is being organized in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education, Uttar Pradesh and Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA). The aim of this expo is to shape the educational future of India and promote the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay noted the transformation of Uttar Pradesh towards becoming a modern education hub. He cited the example of the education centres of ancient Nalanda and Takshila and said that Greater Noida and the state are rapidly emerging in the field of education. “India Education Expo 2024 is an excellent effort to realise the basic principles of NEP,” he said. He described the policy as promoting private investment, which will expand educational opportunities.
The Higher Education Promotion Policy 2024 provides for special incentives to attract domestic and international institutions, including the following incentives:
Stamp duty exemption: Up to 50% exemption for private universities in underdeveloped districts.
Capital grant: Assistance up to 17 per cent of the project cost or up to Rs 35 crore.
Special assistance for foreign universities: 100 per cent stamp duty waiver and up to 20 per cent capital subsidy to the first five foreign universities in the state.
Additional incentives for aspiring districts: Special incentives for balanced regional development.
These incentives are aimed at making Uttar Pradesh attractive for world-class universities, thereby creating high-quality jobs and boosting sustainable economic growth.
The policy has been formulated keeping in mind the World Economic Forum report, which addresses changes in employment due to automation. The policy aims to prepare students for the future job market, with an emphasis on skills such as critical thinking and design thinking.
The Higher Education Incentive Policy 2024 will contribute significantly to the state’s long-term educational and economic goals. Through this policy, the state aims to increase the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) which is currently 24.1 percent to 50 percent by 2035. Apart from this, the government is also committed to setting up a university in every district through the “One District, One University” initiative, to ensure equality of education in every region of the state.
On this occasion, Chief Minister’s Education Advisor Dhirendra Pal Singh, Additional CEO of Greater Noida Authority Prerna Singh, Special Secretary of Higher Education Department Shipu Giri, Project Director of Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog Rohit Gupta and Chairman of India Exposition Mart Limited Dr. Rakesh Kumar were present.
