Mumbai: In response to a long-standing demand from aided private colleges to convert into private universities, the state government has decided to draft a comprehensive policy.
The policy will take into account key aspects such as educational standards, technical requirements, financial implications, and administrative considerations before approval.
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A four-member committee, headed by former vice chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Dr Bhushan Patwardhan, has been tasked with preparing the policy and is expected to submit its report within two months.
The committee includes the deputy secretary (University Education) of the Higher and Technical Education Department, the Director of Higher Education, and the Joint Director of Higher Education (Pune), who will serve as the coordinator and member-secretary.
The committee has been assigned an eight-point agenda. It will establish criteria based on educational performance, infrastructure, and the quality of research conducted at aided private colleges. It will also examine cases where government land has been allocated to such institutions and formulate guidelines accordingly.
In addition, the policy will address the framework for government aid, including salary and non-salary grants, as well as provident fund provisions for employees. It will also define the requirement of obtaining approval from teaching and non-teaching staff when considering such proposals.
Protecting the service conditions and seniority of existing staff will be a key focus area. The draft policy will be prepared in alignment with the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, and the Maharashtra Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2023.
The committee will also consider safeguards for reservation policies concerning scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, along with mechanisms to regulate fees for general category students. Additionally, it will examine the feasibility of developing multidisciplinary institutions in line with the National Education Policy 2020.
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