With an objective of developing state universities, the government of Maharashtra is going to prepare the draft of New Universities Act which will enable the public universities across the state to form Advisory Councils on lines of Indian Institute of Bombay’s BOG and central universities. The council will consist of prominent social reformers, academicians, industrialists and scientists. The council will devise a road map for the varsities.
A select committee has been constituted which includes legislators from various political parties who have been given the responsibility to provide recommendations on various issues. Therefore, the committee has put forward the necessity of advisory councils in the state universities. The recommendations made by the committee will be discussed in the State Assembly during the ongoing winter session. If the recommendations are approved, they will be placed in Maharashtra Public Universities Act.
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Vinod Tawde, Education Minister, indicated that the advisory councils in all the universities would not act as the administrative body but they will make suggestions for the development of the varsity. On the other hand, there is a need for a separate advisory body to implement the recommendations and suggestions. He further added that the management councils and other councils in universities are not able to implement the suggestions due to internal politics.
He explained that the role of the advisory council is only limited to advisory functions and it is not a subservient to management council.
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The selection committee has also proposed to amend the current procedure of starting new colleges. Currently, it is taking two years for a new college to get permission and the panel recommended to make it a one-year process. So far, the colleges have been developing infrastructure and seeking approval from the state government. Instead, the government must provide a letter of intent after which the colleges will develop infrastructure.