Maintenance assistance, reimbursement of Op expenses linked to student strength
PANAJI
The Goa government has notified a new pattern of assistance for aided colleges offering Ayurveda and Homeopathy programmes, laying down a detailed framework for the release of maintenance grants, reimbursement of operational expenses and funding for specialised academic infrastructure.
The two separate orders issued by the Directorate of Higher Education will govern the release of maintenance grants to colleges offering Ayurveda and Homeopathy courses from the financial year 2025-26 onwards.
Under the new policy, maintenance grants will be released as reimbursement of actual expenditure incurred during the previous financial year, subject to prescribed ceilings and the availability of government funds. Institutions will be required to submit audited accounts and comply with various financial conditions to remain eligible for assistance.
The government has fixed the maximum maintenance grant entitlement at Rs 34.5 lakh annually for colleges with up to 500 students and Rs 46 lakh for institutions with student strength between 501 and 1,000. In addition, colleges will be eligible for separate assistance towards outsourced services and engagement of labour, capped at Rs 15 lakh and Rs 17.5 lakh respectively depending on enrolment.
The grants will be released in two instalments every year. The first instalment will be based on unaudited expenditure statements, while the second will be released after submission of audited accounts. Institutions have also been directed to submit audited financial statements by October 31 every year.
The notification makes it mandatory for aided colleges to credit tuition fees collected from students to the government treasury by November 30 every year. Failure to do so will attract penal interest at the rate of 18 per cent from December 1 until payment.
A wide range of operational and academic expenses has been declared eligible for reimbursement. These include expenditure on building maintenance, audit fees, accreditation charges, library resources, laboratory equipment, electricity and water bills, internet connectivity, sports facilities, security systems, classroom furniture, public address systems, biometric attendance systems, generators and digital teaching infrastructure.
The government has also created specialised funding provisions recognising the unique infrastructure needs of traditional medicine institutions.
For Ayurveda colleges, expenditure of up to Rs 20 lakh annually will be reimbursable for the purchase and repair of curriculum-related equipment used in specialised departments including Samhita Siddhanta and Sanskrit, Rachana Sharira, Kriya Sharira, Dravyaguna, Rasashastra and Bhaishajyakalpana, Roga Nidan, Panchakarma, Shalya Tantra, Shalakya Tantra, Prasuti Tantra and Kaumarabhritya, among others. Repairs will be restricted to 10 per cent of the approved ceiling.
Similarly, Homeopathy colleges will be entitled to reimbursement of up to Rs 20 lakh annually for equipment and repairs linked to departments such as Homeopathic Materia Medica, Organon of Medicine, Homeopathic Pharmacy, Homeopathic Repertory and Case Taking, Human Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Pathology and Microbiology, Community Medicine, Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Practice of Medicine and Yoga for Health Promotion. Repair expenditure will also be limited to 10 percent of the approved ceiling.
The orders further provide for reimbursement of expenditure on visiting faculty, guest academicians, specialised laboratories, office automation, furniture and air-conditioning systems, subject to prior approval from the Directorate of Higher Education.
The notifications also state that the grant ceilings and entitlement limits will be enhanced by 15 percent every five years beginning from the 2025-26 financial year. The Directorate of Higher Education has been empowered to frame additional guidelines for the effective implementation of the scheme.
