Nagpur. The state government has taken steps to amend the Maharashtra Public Universities Act 2016. A cabinet meeting was held in this regard on Wednesday. Under the amendment, the government will recommend names to the governor for the post of vice-chancellor of non-agricultural universities of the state. Along with this, the post of Pro-Vice-Chancellor will be created to reduce the control of Governor’s office over the working of universities. The Higher Education Minister of the state will be its ex-officio Pro-Vice Chancellor.
For the last several months, the state government has been working towards amending the Maharashtra Public University Act. Discussions were also held in this regard in cabinet meetings. It is believed that the government will amend the University Act after the decision of the cabinet. This work can be done in the upcoming session of the Legislature. After the new law in non-agricultural universities, people from the BJP and the Sangh Parivar were appointed as vice-chancellors and various officials.
This was opposed by the Congress ministers. As a result, the Mahavikas Aghadi government has entrusted the responsibility of amending the Maharashtra Public Universities Act 2016 to Sukhdev Thorat, former chairman of the University Grants Commission. A 14-member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Thorat. The law was expected to be amended in the last monsoon session itself, but the committee’s report was delayed due to Corona. Now that the cabinet has taken a decision before the winter session, it is expected that the law will be amended in the coming session.
control over rights
Members of the committee constituted to amend the 2016 University Act visited each university and interacted with student organisations, authority members, teachers, principals and various officials. The report was presented after analyzing the issues raised in it. There is a discussion going on in the university circles that if the amendment to the law is approved in the coming session, then it will somehow affect the powers of the Governor.