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Two More Private Universities Approved for Pune


PUNE:
The state cabinet approved proposals to set up of two more self-financed private universities in the city on Wednesday. The new institutions, to be established by the MIT and the Ajinkya D Y Patil groups, are expected to go functional from academic year 2014-15. The move comes close on the heels of the government's approval last month to two proposals for Amity University at Bhatan near Panvel and Spicer Adventist University in Pune. Promoting private self-financed universities forms a part of the state government's strategy to increase private participation and ensuring greater access, excellence, inclusion and research in the field of higher education. On April 10, 2013, the state cabinet had approved the model guidelines for opening private universities, thereby allowing private organizations to set up a university on a no-profit, no-loss basis, along with any trust or society. These institutions will be offering degree, diploma and certificate programmes in a range of studies, including engineering, management, arts and humanities and social sciences.

 

Minister of higher and technical education Rajesh Tope had said during his visit to the city last Saturday that the government has received 22 proposals for setting up such private universities. The government is clearing these proposals step by step, following inspection of physical and academic infrastructure and other plans of these institutions. While the proposals for Amity and Spicer were cleared by the state legislature on the final day of the monsoon session last month, the government will take the ordinance route to facilitate the commencement of the MIT and the Ajinkya D Y Patil universities. Tope had made a statement to this effect last Saturday.

 

According to the policy adopted by the government, the self-financed private universities will face minimum regulatory interference from the state. However, there will be a regulatory board to ensure standards of teaching, examination, research and protection of students' interest and service conditions of employees. The fees will have to be approved by a panel headed by a retired high court or Supreme Court judge. Unlike the chancellor who heads the conventional state university, the private university will be headed by a president and will have other posts like vice-chancellors, deans of faculties, registrar and controller of examinations.

 

Self-financed private universities

 

The state cabinet approved model guidelines to open private universities on April 10, 2013. These guideline allowed private organizations to set up a university on a no-profit, no-loss basis along with any trust or society. These institutions will offer degree, diploma and certificate programmes in areas like engineering, management, arts and humanities. The self-financed private universities will face minimum regulatory interference from the state. But a regulatory board will ensure that they maintain standards of teaching, examination, protection of students' interest and service conditions of employees. The fees will have to be approved by a panel headed by a retired high court or Supreme Court judge

Posted on 03 Jul 2014