Team Blitz India
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Government has approved 264 new colleges under 13 non-agricultural state universities in the academic year 2024-25.
The state’s higher and technical education department issued a Government resolution on February 16, declaring that Letters of Intent (LOIs) submitted by these colleges have been approved.
Out of the 264 new colleges, 14 will be under Mumbai University, said reports. Two of these colleges will come up in Chembur and Dahisar while the remaining 12 colleges will be spread over Thane, Palghar, Raigarh, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg which are covered by the university. The new colleges will mostly offer courses in traditional Arts, Commerce, and Science, while others will offer skill-oriented and specialised courses under conventional nomenclature.
As many as 82 of the new colleges are meant for women and will be affiliated to the city-based Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s University, the Government resolution said. These will offer skill-oriented degree courses for women. Job-oriented courses are aimed at supporting the state’s objective to increase women’s enrolments in higher education institutions. Savitribai Phule Pune University will have 59 new colleges and Santa Gadagebaba Amravati University 29 colleges. All others will have 20 or less colleges.
There was no proposal for a new law college among those sent by universities. In August last year, at a meeting headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Maharashtra State Commission for Higher Education and Development passed a five-year (2024- 29) perspective plan for non-agricultural universities in Maharashtra.
