self-financed univs.

Only 3 applications to set up self-financed univs in state

Prafulla Marpakwar TNN 

Mumbai: Only three leading educational institutions have submitted applications a month after the state government issued model guidelines for setting up self-financed universities. 
    “The response is poor. In the first year, we were expecting more than a dozen applications. There were many enquiries before the rules were issued. But after we announced the rules, the response has been dismal,’’ a senior bureaucrat told TOI on Monday. 
    A year ago, after both Houses of the state legislature passed a bill, governor K Sankaranarayanan had refused to give his assent as there was no provision of reservation. Prominent politicians had demanded reservation for backward class students in self-financed universities. After the bill was returned by the governor, the higher and technical education department issued model guidelines for setting up self-financed universities on May 29. 
    The bureaucrat said all proposals will be put up before a high-level committee headed by principal secretary (higher and technical education department). If the proposals are approved, a separate bill for each self-financed university will be introduced in the legislature. If the bill is passed by both Houses and the governor gives his assent, a new self-financed university will be set up. 
    It would be mandatory for the self-financed university to set up a Rs 10 crore endowment fund if it is in Mumbai or its suburbs, and Rs 5 crore if outside Mumbai, added the bureaucrat. 
    There was no proposal for reservations, but the model guidelines provide a clear provision for admission and reservation for all courses as per the state government policy. 
    A leading education baron said the state government procedure was lengthy and there appeared to be a lot of red-tape. 
    “The procedure should be simple. In neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, approval of a proposal is time-bound,” he said.

Source:::: The Times of India, 02-07-2013. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1372761063606

HIGHER EDU BOOST

Decks are cleared for pvt varsities

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Clearing the decks for private institutions to enter the field of higher education in Maharashtra, the state cabinet on Tuesday approved model guidelines for opening private varsities.
    Following the approval, the government will now shelve the Private Universities Bill in August.
    The bill got mired in controversy over caste reservations. Reservation of a fixed percentage of seats of socially backward class students was not stipulated in the Act.
    This led to opposition from leaders and representatives of backward classes, after which the state cabinet proposed 25% reservation in the Act and forwarded it to
Governor K Sankaranarayanan for assent. But the bill was rejected by the governor on the reservation issue.
    Keen not to lose more time over the move, the government decided to imbibe a model adopted in some other states by framing guidelines. Sources said separate bills will now be drafted for each such private university, which will have to submit a proposal on the basis of the model guidelines.
    The new guidelines stipulate 50% reservation for backward classes. The new guidelines allow a private organization to set up the university on a no-profit, no-loss basis, along with any trust or society. Officials said top corporates were interested in setting up the universities.

Source:::::  The Times of India, 10-04-2013, p.04, http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1365570427881

Govt drops pvt university bill

Vaibhav Ganjapure TNN 

Nagpur: The Maharashtra government has dropped the plan to introduce the ‘Private Universities Act’ to regulate private universities. The Uturn by the government comes after the cabinet cleared the bill, introduced by the state higher and technical education department, on December 13. 
    The bill was to come up for discussion in the legislative council and was even mentioned in the daily schedule last week. But it was deferred by the chairman following a request by the government. The bill came under criticism from members on the issue of reservation. Even Governor K Sankaranarayanan had referred it back after demands were made for reservation in these institutions. 
    Though chief minister Prithviraj Chavan refused to confirm the development directly, he hinted to TOI that since the government had to make a new bill for every private university, they were contemplating making some changes in the bill. “We are studying establishment of many such universities which have already opened centres in other states andwillthen make necessary changes,” he said. 
    However, minister for higher and technical education Rajesh Tope confirmed the development, stating that the existing bill had been dropped and new model guidelines will be framed for entry of these universities. 
    He,however, remained noncommittal about the percentage of reservation in the new guidelines . 
    Tope made it clear that all these universities would have to be cleared by both the assembly and council to become operational.


Source:::: The Times of India, 21-12-2012, p.04. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1356080949251