Maharashtra CM Fadnavis launches online college approval system

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday launched the New College Permission System NCPS a dedicated online platform for streamlining the approval of new colleges across the state officials saidThe portal will allow applicants to submit proposals digitally via httpshtedumaharashtragovinNCPS bringing greater transparency and efficiency to the processDuring a review meeting of the Maharashtra State Higher Education and Development Commission MAHED held at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai CM Fadnavis directed officials to prepare a model for automated scholarship distribution similar to the salary disbursement system used for government employeesThe move he said would ensure timely scholarship payments for students especially those from socially and economically weaker sectionsFadnavis stated that the departments such as the Social Justice and Special Assistance Other Backward Classes Welfare and Tribal Development must create clear financial timelines to support this transition A prototype of the new system is expected to be submitted for approval soonAs part of the statersquos higher education master plan 2024ndash2029 MAHED had approved 2819 site points for new colleges Of the 739 institutions that received inprinciple approval 593 have now been granted final clearance The sitepoint system helps plan college distribution across nonagricultural university jurisdictions to avoid overcrowding and ensure equitable accessThe Chief Minister also called for reforms in social work colleges urging universities to form committees that will prepare frameworks to grant approvals only on a permanently unaided basis These changes are aimed at improving academic quality and enhancing social responsibility within the sectorA unique approval was also granted to Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University to launch a BSc Aviation and Hospitality course provided it integrates elements of Sanskrit and traditional Indian knowledge systemsmdashmarking a special convergence of classical learning with modern disciplinesAddressing concerns around law colleges CM Fadnavis said that Bar Council of India BCI guidelines must be followed strictly Colleges would be approved only after receiving a lsquoNo Objection Certificatersquo from the BCI and with legal vetting by the statersquos Law and Judiciary DepartmentFurthermore it was decided that professional courses regulated by AICTE UGC BCI and NCTE must not be introduced without prior permission from the Higher and Technical Education Department A committee led by the Chief Secretary will be constituted to ensure academic coordination between higher education and skill development departmentsHighlighting the need for synergy the Chief Minister also suggested that private universities with NAAC A grades may be considered for starting medical education courses based on formal proposals to the Medical Education DepartmentThe meeting was attended by Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil Medical Education Minister Hassan Mushrif Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and senior bureaucrats including ACS OP Gupta Finance ACS B Venugopal Reddy Higher Education and several senior officials from the education departmentsMumbai University ViceChancellor Dr Ravindra Kulkarni gave a presentation on the implementation of the National Education Policy NEP in the state CM Fadnavis expressed satisfaction with the progress and reiterated the governmentrsquos commitment to developing industryrelevant futureready academic programs