The revision of pay scales of faculty, design and scientific staff and other academic staff of the over 50 centrally-funded institutions were approved by the Union Cabinet. The Cabinet also approved giving financial assistance to states for implementing the revised scales.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved a scheme to provide homestead sites to rural BPL (below the poverty line) households. This will be based on parameters like the state government regularising the land as a homestead site if it is presently occupied by a BPL household and if regularisation is permissible on the basis of the existing acts and rules.
Financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per beneficiary will be provided for purchase or acquisition of a homestead site of a 100-250 sq mt area.
The expenditure will be equally shared by the Centre and states. The Cabinet has also approved undertaking the design and development of the GSAT-10 spacecraft at a cost of Rs 735 crore (Rs 7.35 billion) with a foreign exchange component of Rs 634 crore (Rs 6.34 billion).