The Maharashtra government has announced the formation of a high-level committee to draft new regulations governing private unaided professional educational institutions in the state.
The committee, chaired by Principal Secretary Rajendra Bhagat, will be responsible for preparing draft rules for the Admission Regulatory Authority (ARA), the State Common Entrance Test Cell (CET Cell), and the Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) under the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015. It has been granted a period of three months to submit its recommendations to the government.
According to a government resolution (GR) issued on Friday, provisions have been made in Sections 23 and 24 of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015 for drafting rules for ARA, FRA, and the State CET Cell.
The committee comprises senior officials, including the Secretary of FRA, the Commissioner of State CET Cell, the Director of Higher Education, and the Director of Technical Education. Additionally, the committee includes D.P. Gomare, retired legal advisor and deputy secretary from the Law and Judiciary Department, and the Joint Secretary (Technical Education) from the Higher and Technical Education Department.
“The committee shall prepare a draft framework for rules and regulations and submit recommendations to the government within three months,” states the GR.
The resolution also outlines financial provisions for the committee members. “The chairperson of the committee shall receive an honorarium of Rs7,500 per meeting, while other retired officials shall be entitled to Rs5,000 per meeting, along with reimbursement of actual travel expenses,” it reads.
An official from the Higher and Technical Education Department said, “The formation of this committee ensures a structured and transparent regulatory framework. The objective is to align the admission and fee regulation processes with the evolving needs of higher education in the state.”
The committee's operations will be facilitated through the Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra. “All necessary arrangements for the committee's functioning shall be made by the Director of Technical Education, Maharashtra State, Mumbai,” reads the GR.
