She said the UGC will release a grant of about Rs 65 crore in its 11th plan allocation. “But only half the colleges among the 12,000 colleges which are there in the northern region will be able to receive their share of the grant,” she said.

“Many of the colleges are not ready with the settled accounts when it comes to receiving grants from UGC. While some of the colleges show lack of care in following the UGC norms in the expenditure and therefore lose out on the grant thereafter, others show various kinds of discrepancies.”

Speaking to Newsline on the sidelines of the annual prize distribution function at Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, she said the colleges should adhere to the UGC norms when it comes to spending the grant given by the UGC so that they can benefit from the grant.

“We hear about different kinds of discrepancies. At times, for example, the money granted as building fund is spent so haphazardly that it does not conform to the UGC norms,” she said.

She said the grant will be handed over the colleges depending upon the student ratio.

She added that another grant as part of 16 merged schemes would be given over and above the grant under 11th plan.

Stressing on the importance of women studies, she said a new plan had been framed to provide professional courses in universities and colleges for women .