Fadnavis directs panel to examine sites outside university plans for new colleges

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday directed the constitution of a sub-committee to scrutinise locations outside universities' five-year plans for setting up new colleges from the 2027-28 academic year.

Chairing a meeting of the Maharashtra State Higher Education and Development Commission (MAHED) at the state secretariat, Fadnavis said the panel should examine locations found eligible by universities after considering representations received from public representatives and educational institutions, an official release issued after the meeting said.

The sub-committee should assess all necessary criteria and submit its report to the state government, he said. The move is aimed at ensuring equitable access to higher education facilities across the state and facilitating the establishment of new colleges, according to an official release.

Also read India added 196 public universities in 15 years, but most barely functional; private ones outnumber them

Maharashtra to increase CET exam centres

Fadnavis also directed officials to increase the number of Common Entrance Test (CET) examination centres so that students can get centres closer to their places of residence. However, while expanding the number of centres, examination security and transparency must be maintained, he said, directing the CET Cell to put in place a system for more effective control and monitoring of examination centres.

CET Cell Commissioner Dilip Sardesai made a presentation on the current status of the engineering admission process for the academic year 2026-27. The meeting also reviewed the centralised admission process and discussed measures to make it simpler, transparent and student-friendly.

The government said the proportion of girls among engineering admissions has increased following its decision to provide free higher education to women. Girls accounted for 32.72 per cent of total engineering admissions in 2023-24, which increased to 37.27 per cent in 2026-27, it said.