The HRD Ministry has approved a proposal to extend the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations to cover teachers and academic staff of government and government-aided technical institutions, reports India Today.

The ministry has reportedly earmarked Rs 1,241 crore for the same. "The move will directly benefit a total of 29,264 teachers and other academic staff of institutes funded by state governments, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

"Almost 3.5 lakh faculty members of private colleges or institutions within the purview of the All India Council of Technical Education would also benefit from the approval," the Union Minister added.

"The Central government will also reimburse 50 per cent of the additional expenditure incurred by institutes for clearance of arrears on account of the implementation of the Seventh Central Pay Commission recommendations," Javadekar said.

The Minister said the move would help technical institutions attract and retain faculty of high academic standards.

In October 2017, the Union Cabinet revised the pay scales for nearly 800,000 teachers and academic staff of higher educational institutions on the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.

This decision is set to benefit teachers and academic staff of 106 universities and colleges funded by the University Grants Commission and the Union HRD ministry, as many as 329 universities supported by state governments and 12,912 government and private aided colleges affiliated to state universities.