UGC's EARN-WHILE-YOU-LEARN programme is part of the scheme of Universities with Potential for Excellence. Over 100 students from the postgraduate courses who are financially backward assist various office and technical work in Madras University along with their studies. This is for the first time that an institutionalized support from the public-funded organizations is introduced in academic institutions under the scheme Earn-While-You-Learn. Students of this scheme from Madras University along with the Midterm Review Committee Members Prof. S. Padmanabhan (former Director Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore); Prof. Amrik Singh; Prof. S.P. Thyagarajan, Vice Chancellor, Madras University; and Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chairman, UGC. This scheme is operative in 4 other Universities in the Country. The process of identifying 10 more universities for focussed support under this scheme is on. 

200 Million Euros 
( Rs. 1149 crores) for SSA
 from European Commission 

Hon’ble Minister for Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Mr. Muzafar Hussain Beig, Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Prof. Amitabh Matto and Prof. O.P. Sharma at the inauguration of the UGC Golden Jubilee Seminar on Governance of Higher Education, University of Jammu on 20th October, 2003.

The European commission has committed an amount of 200 million Euros (Rs. 1149.00 crores) for funding of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The World Bank and British Overseas Development Agency (ODA) are also providing funds for support of the programme. SSA is a nationally evolved and funded programme for universalisation of elementary education. The Tapas Majumdar Committee recommendations were kept in view while finalizing the requirements of funds for the implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), which is the national programme for universalisation of elementary education in the country by 2010.