INDIA

Private universities also want access to CSR funding

Some private universities may approach the government of India to propose that contributions to privately funded higher education be included within the ambit of corporate social responsibility (CSR), writes Priscilla Jebaraj for The Hindu.

Last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an expansion of CSR norms, allowing the mandatory 2% contribution from companies to be spent on “public-funded universities, IITs [Indian Institutes of Technology], national laboratories” and government-funded research bodies, among others. However, private institutions were not included.

“We will consider a representation to the government on expanding the CSR norms to include private universities,” OP Jindal Global University Vice-Chancellor C Raj Kumar said on 14 October, making a pitch for more investment in higher education. “We also expect to engage with the government [on this issue] through the Empowered Expert Committee for Institutes of Eminence.”
Full report on The Hindu site