LUCKNOW, Feb. 8 -- The Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a high-level expert committee to evaluate proposals submitted under the Centre of Excellence and Research and Development (R&D) schemes for state universities, government colleges and aided institutions, officials said on Saturday. The panel will examine applications aimed at promoting advanced and specialised research by faculty members as well as proposals to develop select university departments as Centres of Excellence. The move is part of the state's push to strengthen the quality and impact of higher education and research. According to an official order issued by the higher education department, the committee will be headed by the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Higher Education Council. The special secretary of higher education (section-4) and the director of higher education, Prayagraj, will serve as members. Nominated research heads or directors of all state universities and concerned regional higher education officers will also be part of the panel, while the additional secretary of the council will act as member secretary. The committee includes subject experts from science, engineering and technology, commerce and management, and humanities. Among those named are Prof Uma Srivastava and Prof Vinay Kumar Singh from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Prof Manjula Upadhyay of Naya Yug College, Lucknow, Prof Rajesh Kumar Tiwari of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi, Prof Rajsharan Shahi of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow and Prof Ashok Kumar Dubey of BSNV Postgraduate College, Lucknow. Officials said the panel will ensure that experts from the relevant discipline are present while assessing proposals related to a particular subject. A meeting of the committee will be convened shortly to begin scrutiny of the applications. Attendance of the nominated research heads or directors of the concerned state universities, along with regional higher education officers, will be mandatory at the meeting. The government order also supersedes earlier notifications related to expert committees formed for these schemes, the officials added.htc...