UGC Urges Varsities to Start 'Go Cashless' Campaign: HRD to Reward Abiding Colleges

In another bid to crack down on corruption and expand transparency in payment, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a circular to colleges, wooing them to go cashless with various incentives for the most digitised college.

UGC has directed colleges and universities to indulge in a campaign for a month in order to make wards and parents informed about online transactions.

In its circular to colleges, UGC said that the campaign would commence from 12 December to educate and train students in various modes of digital payments.

The main objective of this campaign is to make sure that every campus becomes completely cashless by adopting digital payment systems in all its receipts, payments and transactions within the campus, the UGC said.

The notification on the UGC official website said that the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has launched Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan (Visaka), a campaign for promoting a digital economy through youth volunteers from the higher educational institutions of the country.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has already unveiled the plan in a Video Conference connecting all Universities/llTs/llMs/NlTs/lllTs/ llSERs/other higher educational institutions on 1 December, 2016, it said.

"The details of presentation by Javadekar in the matter may be seen in www.mhrd.qov.in/visaka. Participation in the campaign by the youth in the higher educational institutions is highly relevant because they would be the main beneficiaries in creating a digital economy - free of corruption, black money; completely transparent and just."

The direction urged the heads of all institutions to educate and train their students in the various modes of digital payments and encourage them to join as volunteers in large numbers for this campaign.

These volunteers would need to be guided by faculty who are aware about the digital payment systems and are enthusiastic to participate in the effort. An important component of this campaign is to ensure that every campus becomes completely cashless by adopting digital payment systems in all its receipts, payments and transactions within the campus.

"The NSS and NCC units in your institution may be asked to meet immediately and identify one nearby market/mandi to transform it into a digital market place, where all shops/establishments/traders located therein are enabled with digital payment systems. A website has been launched in www.mhrd.gov.in/visaka which provides for: downloading material, registration of volunteers, giving feedback and uploading progress reports," it read.

"This campaign may be run for a month between 12th December,2016 and i2th January, 20'17. A detailed plan of action in this regard is enclosed with the request to follow the date-lines without fail. You are requested to kindly instruct the colleges affiliated with your esteemed university to Initiate action on the above immedlately. Action taken in this regard may be intimated to UGC on email [email protected]," it added.

The HRD Ministry proposes to award the best institution which has done commendable work in this respect at a function that will be separately organised.

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