Pune: Maharashtra higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil said on Tuesday that the department will initiate action on several long-pending demands of permanently unaided colleges, including financial support for institutions in rural, tribal, hilly, drought-prone and Naxal-affected regions.
“The department will examine measures within its jurisdiction to strengthen such colleges through financial assistance, quality improvement initiatives, research promotion, access to university-level funding, employee-related policies and reforms aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP),” Patil said, while chairing a meeting convened to review issues raised by the Maharashtra State Unaided Colleges Association.
Among the key issues raised was the implementation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 2024 regulations mandating NET/SET or a PhD qualification for faculty appointments. The association argued that the norms have made recruitment difficult for unaided colleges, particularly in rural areas, and requested that colleges be granted at least one-year recognition.
In response, Patil said, “Faculty eligibility norms fall under the UGC’s jurisdiction and are beyond the state’s authority. However, the government will positively consider the proposal to grant one-year recognition to unaided colleges.”
The association also sought a revision in tuition fees for unaided undergraduate programmes, including BA, BCom and BSc courses. Patil directed officials to comprehensively review the fee structure and examine the scope for revision.
{{/usCountry}}The association also sought a revision in tuition fees for unaided undergraduate programmes, including BA, BCom and BSc courses. Patil directed officials to comprehensively review the fee structure and examine the scope for revision.
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