Gujarat government allocates Rs 50 crore to upgrade infrastructure of 25 public colleges

Ahmedabad: In a move to bolster higher education infrastructure, the state govt has assigned special funds to high-performing govt colleges based on their strong results in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) assessments. Under a special provision in the 2026-27 budget, a total of Rs 50 crore was set aside to develop selected institutions into model colleges.

Following this declaration, the education department has now issued grants of Rs 2 crore each to 25 govt colleges across the state, including four institutions in Ahmedabad. This comprehensive programme is explicitly designed to improve academic resources, upgrade research capabilities, and introduce updated, technology-enabled infrastructure to elevate the overall standard of higher education.

To achieve these goals, the govt has laid down specific spending requirements for the Rs 2 crore allocated to each institution. Approximately Rs 7.5 crore of the total fund will be spent collectively under the ‘modern and digital’ category, requiring colleges to develop enhanced digital systems that cover computers, improved IT networks, e-books, digital libraries, online journals, and automation arrangements. Alongside these digital upgrades, an estimated combined cost of Rs 11.3 crore has been earmarked to build multipurpose halls, each featuring air conditioning, projectors, and other seminar-related facilities to accommodate roughly 150 people.

The initiative also places a heavy priority on innovation and research activities, providing nearly Rs 2.5 crore to establish incubation centres aimed at supporting entrepreneurship and student-driven startups. Furthermore, smart classrooms equipped with advanced audio-visual teaching tools will be introduced across the colleges at a total cost of Rs 12.5 crore, while another Rs 12.5 crore will be utilised to upgrade departmental laboratories and research facilities.

To streamline operations, Rs 3.8 crore has been approved for rolling out institutional management systems across all shortlisted colleges. The govt has mandated that all equipment purchases must be made through specified procurement portals, strictly stipulating that these upgrades must not create any additional manpower load for operation and maintenance. The Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG) has been appointed as the nodal agency to supervise the seamless execution of the entire project.