Cluster universities in Maharashtra may now include government and aided colleges along with unaided colleges. The state government has introduced a bill to amend the cluster universities section of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016 to facilitate the formation of cluster universities with unaided colleges or institutions.
In October this year, the state government issued an ordinance in this regard allowing unaided colleges to be included in cluster universities. The Bill to amend the Act is expected to bring more clarity to encourage formation of cluster universities in Maharashtra.
A cluster university allows at least two or more five colleges in a district to unite and form a university, provided they meet prerequisites such as accreditation for all participating institutions in which the major colleges have completed at least five years of autonomous status.
The idea is to allow established colleges to merge into universities and offer different courses, reducing the burden on state universities. “Apart from government and government-aided colleges, there are a large number of unaided colleges affiliated to public universities,” the ordinance issued in October said, proposing suitable amendments to facilitate the formation of cluster universities with unaided colleges. or institutions.
The Ordinance further states, “The National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes the need for clustering colleges to improve academic quality, promote interdisciplinary courses, facilitate collaboration between educational institutions and provide academic flexibility to students through innovative multidisciplinary education. Similarly, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines in September 2022 to convert higher education institutions into multi-disciplinary institutions by clustering them. These guidelines do not specify any government assistance for such institutions. Keeping this policy and guidelines in mind, the government is encouraging the establishment of cluster universities in the state of Maharashtra. “
Currently, Maharashtra has four cluster universities out of which three, Mumbai’s Dr. Homi Bhava State University and HSNC University and Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil University in Satara are established under National Higher Education Mission (RUSA).
But fourthly, Warana University in Kolhapur is the only cluster university created under the state policy. With the latest change to allow unaided colleges, the state hopes to encourage the establishment of more cluster universities in Maharashtra.
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