Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a major overhaul of technical education following the alleged multi-crore financial irregularities at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to set up two new technical universities, significantly reducing RGPV's financial and administrative clout.
The government plans to upgrade Government Engineering College, Ujjain, and Government Engineering College, Jabalpur, into full-fledged technical universities to decentralise technical education and end RGPV's near-monopoly over affiliations across the state.
"Once the plan is implemented, technical colleges in the Malwa and Nimar regions will come under the proposed Ujjain Technical University, while institutions in eastern Madhya Pradesh will be affiliated with the proposed Jabalpur Technical University," a senior government official told Free Press on condition of anonymity.
The restructuring will substantially shrink RGPV's jurisdiction, which currently affiliates engineering, pharmacy, architecture and management colleges across Madhya Pradesh.
Its jurisdiction is expected to be largely confined to central Madhya Pradesh.
Officials said the decision was prompted by concerns over governance and financial management after RGPV came under scrutiny for alleged financial irregularities.
By distributing affiliation responsibilities among three universities, the government aims to strengthen oversight, improve administrative efficiency and prevent the concentration of financial resources in a single institution.
The move is also expected to hit RGPV's finances. A significant share of the university's revenue comes from affiliation fees paid by hundreds of technical institutions.
With many colleges shifting to the new universities, its annual income is expected to decline.
RGPV is estimated to hold nearly Rs1,500 crore in fixed deposits, making it one of the state's financially strongest universities.
Officials said the new universities would also reduce delays in affiliations, examinations and academic monitoring, particularly for colleges located far from Bhopal.
The government is expected to begin the formal process of upgrading the two engineering colleges after obtaining the necessary approvals.
