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Private colleges in Maharashtra a step closer to forming cluster universities

Dec 23, 2024 07:03 AM IST

The bill will be taken up for discussion in the next session of the assembly, following which it will be introduced in the legislative council

Mumbai: The state government has proposed major amendments to the Maharashtra Public Universities Act (MPUA), 2016, allowing private colleges across district boundaries to form cluster universities. A bill to this effect was tabled in the assembly on December 16, the first day of the winter session of the state legislature. The bill will be taken up for discussion in the next session of the assembly, following which it will be introduced in the legislative council.

A private college in Mumbai. Representative Image. (HT)
A private college in Mumbai. Representative Image. (HT)

Earlier, only government-aided colleges managed by a single trust or society and located within the same district were allowed to form cluster universities. An ordinance issued in October this year removed the requirement of government-aided colleges as mandatory constituents of a cluster university, though they had to be located in the same district.

The proposed amenedments seek to formalise and augment the change introduced through the ordinance. The amendments also seek to align Maharashtra’s cluster university framework with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, which allow private institutions to establish cluster universities.

The NEP envisions transforming fragmented higher education institutions (HEIs) into multidisciplinary clusters or self-governing degree-granting entities to encourage cross-disciplinary research and optimise resources. UGC guidelines from 2022 further support this model by allowing both government and private colleges to form clusters, even if they are still affiliated with parent universities.

Maharashtra had amended the MPUA in March 2022, simplifying the rules for establishment of cluster universities. Detailed guidelines issued in November 2023 allowed 2-5 institutes within a district and managed by a single trust or society to form a cluster. Lead colleges must have a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) rating above 3.25 and National Board of Accreditation (NBA) accreditation for 50% of its courses, the guidelines specified.

Despite these efforts, the initiative has seen limited uptake. Out of four cluster universities in the state, only one – Warana University – was constituted under provisions of MUPA while three others – Dr Homi Bhabha State University, HSNC University and Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil University – were established under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a centrally sponsored scheme under the ministry of education.

Only a few proposals for cluster universities under MUPA provisions are in advanced stages of scrutiny, while others are preliminary, said a senior officer from the state higher and technical education department. Many colleges are hesitant to detach from parent universities citing restrictive parameters, the officer said.

The amendments allowing private institutions spread over several districts to form a cluster seek to address these challenges. The government hopes the recent legislative push will accelerate the adoption of cluster universities and foster innovation and efficiency in higher education.

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