The new grant-in-aid policy changes the earlier system when special assistance by the State Government would be adjusted against the regular grants, defeating the very purpose of the extra aid. The new policy envisages treating additional government assistance as separate from the regular grants given to universities.

With this policy being passed at the Senate, university authorities said the MSU would have funds to spare to implement various new and development projects. It would also help the university achieve self-reliance to a large extent. ``The added money which the university was earning could not be used for its own purpose and on the contrary the university was just incurring loss,'' an administrative official said. The Senate would also take up for approval financial estimates for the year 1999-2000. The university has estimated a deficit of Rs 42 lakh -- which is nearly 1 per cent of the university's last year budget -- in the estimates of about Rs 65.37 crore. In 1998-99, the deficit was Rs 43 lakh in a budget of Rs 43.80 crore.

The revised estimates for the Hansa Mehta library has also shown an increase of Rs 44,67,000. This increase is due to the additional provision of books, periodicals and annual subscription of journals and revision of pay scales of the employees.