Maharashtra Opens Door for Unaided Colleges in Cluster University Formation

Maharashtra: In a progressive move, Maharashtra's state government has opened up the opportunity for unaided colleges to be included in cluster universities, expanding the scope beyond just government and aided institutions. This comes after a key ordinance was promulgated in October, which paved the way for integrating unaided colleges into the state's cluster university system.

Cluster universities in Maharashtra, a concept aimed at improving academic collaboration and flexibility, can now consist of government, aided, and unaided colleges. This inclusion will allow a minimum of two and a maximum of five colleges from a district to form a cluster university, provided that they meet necessary criteria such as accreditation and the lead college having attained at least five years of autonomous status.

The push for this reform comes in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and the University Grants Commission's (UGC) guidelines for clustering higher educational institutions. By encouraging the establishment of cluster universities, the government hopes to ease the burden on state universities and foster a broader, more diverse range of multidisciplinary courses for students.

Currently, Maharashtra has four cluster universities, with three established under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA): Dr. Homi Bhabha State University and HSNC University in Mumbai, and Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil University in Satara. The fourth, Warana University in Kolhapur, is the only one created solely under the state's policy.

By welcoming unaided colleges into the fold, Maharashtra is set to facilitate the growth of more cluster universities, helping to modernize the state’s higher education system.