Highlights
- Students participation in BOS
- Elections to be held again for University BOS
- Reservations percentage for underprivileged to go up
- Choice based credit system
- Effective complaints redressal system
- Undesirable and unfair practices to be weeded out
- Faculty for inter disciplinary studies to be set up
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Nagpur: The much awaited ‘Maharashtra Universities Act’ was cleared by the State Assembly on Thursday, as promised by Education Minister Vinod Tawde when the winter session began in Nagpur on 5th December. This will pave the way for the first major reform in the higher Education sector of the state in over two decades. Another benefit is that it will allow universities to conduct Board of Studies (BOS) elections, which were held for the last one and half years. The new BOS would also have first merit rank holder in the respective faculty examinations as one of the members. “So far only elder members were allowed to run the BOS. But introduction of fresh faces would make it a complete body.” Said Tawde.
The Minister said the bill was cleared by a joint panel of 25 legislators from both houses after making as many as 56 amendments. The panel also had two former educations ministers, college owners and experts from various fields.
Describing the new amendments, the minister said the changes are aimed at extending maximum benefits for students.
The minister added that earlier, students pursuing sports had to skip examinations if they were busy with various games.
“Now, the universities could conduct separate exams for them, thus saving their precious academic year. Same would be applicable for the handicapped students coming under Divyang category. Even choice-based credit system (CBCS) would be made flexible so that the arts student could study subjects like biochemistry,” he said.
Three committees had been set up by the government to recommend changes in running of Universities . They were Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Dr. Arun Nigwekar and Dr. Ram Takwale committees namely. These 3 worked in tandem with each other and their recommendations were studied and combined while making amendments. More committees were set up on recommendations of Nigwekar for proper implementation.
The bill was pending since long, the universities are working without full time bodies like Management and Academic councils, and Senate that adversely affected their functioning. Further the convocation ceremonies were delayed in a majority of universities leading to several problems to the students, specially those studying or seeking jobs abroad. Mumbai and Nagpur universities conducted convocation ceremonies without deans of various faculties and Management council members.
