Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) The Maharashtra Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday cleared the overhaul of its regulatory framework for self-financed private skill universities, replacing university-specific Acts with a unified legislative framework.
With this decision, the previous Government Resolution dated February 5, 2021, stands repealed. Future institutions will be governed under the Maharashtra Private Skill Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2024.
According to the new guidelines, sponsoring bodies must submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) alongside a non-refundable fee of Rs 1 crore.
After receiving the Letter of Intent (LoI), sponsors have one year to submit compliance reports. Up to two one-year extensions may be granted at a fee of Rs 50 lakh per year (50 per cent of the initial proposal fee).
Failure to comply within the window results in automatic cancellation of the LoI. Any subsequent amendment or modification to a university's constituent Act will incur a processing fee of Rs 50 lakh.
According to the Cabinet decision, the self-financed private skill universities will come up on minimum of 25 acres of land in rural areas, 15 acres in tehsil/district headquarters, minimum 10 acres in urban areas excluding BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and Thane Municipal Corporation limits and minimum 10 acres plus an endowment fund of Rs 10 crore in Metropolitan Region Development Authorities limits.
Further, in Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburbs, and Thane Municipal Limits, a standalone building with at least 15,000 sq metres of constructed space is required. Buildings (minimum 15,000 sq. metres) can be self-owned or taken on a minimum 30-year lease, but land transfer rights are prohibited.
Further, the Cabinet has cleared the creation of independent Social Work faculties in traditional colleges and permitted existing Social Work colleges to start additional unaided divisions starting from the 2027–28 academic year reversing a multi-decade freeze on expansion.
In 2001 and 2004, the Social Justice Department had frozen new Social Work colleges and seat expansions due to market saturation.
Following the transfer of Social Work education to the Higher and Technical Education Department in February 2024, an expert committee recommended revising the restrictive policy to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) and address growing demand for trained social service professionals.
Maharashtra currently has 69 recognised Social Work colleges (47 aided, 18 permanently unaided, 1 partially aided, 2 with aided faculties, and 1 closed).
Moreover, the Cabinet, in a bid to improve judicial access in eastern Maharashtra, has approved the establishment of a District and Additional Sessions Court along with a Public Prosecutor's Office at Hadgaon in Nanded district.
The project carries a sanctioned outlay of Rs 1.83 crore. The new judicial set-up will include 19 regular posts and 6 outsourced positions (25 total) and four dedicated posts in the prosecutor's office. It will be situated in Hadgaon at Nanded. The new facility will absorb 671 pending cases (344 civil and 327 criminal) from Nanded, significantly reducing travel time and legal expense for local litigants.
--IANS
sj/rad
