New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS): The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has secured the Higher Education Funding Agency's (HEFA) approval for Rs 455.02 crore fund for construction of new academic buildings, hostels and research centres.

With several new schools and centres coming up at the JNU, the requirement for academic and hostel facilities has increased.

"The funds allocated by the HEFA will be used for construction of hostels for students and researchers of the School of Engineering and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management & Entrepreneurship, and the new academic complexes," said JNU Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar.

The new complexes, included facilities for trans-disciplinary academic research, advanced animal research, advanced instrumentation research, incubation centre for startups, special centre for e-learning, lecture hall complex and integrated & unified education ERP system, he added.

The JNU admits over 2,000 students each year from among 1.3 lakh applicants.