Jammu, Feb 4 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday approved an ambitious Rs.1,039 crore plan to establish new universities, technical colleges, model degree colleges, polytechnics and upgrading the existing higher educational system in the state.

Chairing the first meeting of state higher education council here, Abdullah gave his nod to the comprehensive proposal to be sent to the union government seeking assistance under the newly launched Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a final tier of centrally sponsored schemes of the ministry of human resource development (MHRD).

Two other schemes implemented in J&K with the help of MHRD are Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamaik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).

Abdullah said the RUSA will provide necessary edifice and give fillip to the state government's initiatives for equitable growth of education in all the regions and sub-regions by setting up institutions in unserved and underserved areas.

It will also improve opportunity for higher education to socially deprived communities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, women and disabled, he added.

The chief minister said the scheme will also help achieve excellence by way of improving the learning outcomes and employability of the graduates and scaling up research development and innovations.