Higher and technical education department announces model guidelines for setting up such varsities.

Updated on: Thursday, May 30, 2013

More than two years after the state government failed to bring in a law for establishment of the self-financed universities, the higher and technical education department on Wednesday announced model guidelines for setting up such varsities. This means a separate legislation will have to be enacted for setting up a self-financed varsity.

After the cabinet approved a landmark proposal for the establishment of self-financed universities on March 21, 2011, a bill was introduced in both the Houses of the state legislature. Later, the proposal was submitted to governor K Sankaranarayanan for his assent.

Following strong protest by politicians, the governor declined to approve it on the ground that there was no provision of reservation in the self-financed universities. "As he declined to approve, we withdrew the bill from both the Houses," a senior bureaucrat said.

According to the model guidelines, a proposal for setting up a self-financed university will be examined by a six-member committee headed by the principal secretary of the higher and technical education department.

The decision will be taken on the basis of financial soundness and assets of the sponsoring organization and its ability to set up the infrastructure, background of the sponsoring body, its expertise and experience in the field of education, its general reputation and commitment to follow the norms of the regulatory bodies.

According to the rules, the sponsoring organization should be a trust registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act or a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, any public trust registered under the Indian Trust Act, an educational institute established under the Companies Act or any existing college or educational institute.

The bureaucrat added that once the proposal is approved by the committee, the state government will issue a letter of intent and require the sponsoring body to establish an endowment fund of Rs 10 crore for the varsity to be established in Mumbai or a suburban district or Rs 5 crore if it is located outside Mumbai.

The sponsoring body will also have to submit the title deeds showing that it owns a minimum of 10 acres of land in Mumbai region, 15 acres at the divisional headquarters, 25 acres at the tehsil place or 50 acres in rural areas. In addition, it will be binding on the self-finance universities to provide for reservation according to the policy of the state government, construct a minimum of 15,000 sq m of covered space for administrative purposes, purchase books and journals of at least Rs 10 lakh, purchase equipment, computers and furniture worth Rs 20 lakh.

"On the basis of the recommendations of the committee, a bill for setting up a self-finance university will be introduced in both the Houses of the state legislature. After the bill is passed, it will get a status of a self-financed university," the senior bureaucrat said.

Higher and technical education department announces model guidelines for setting up such varsities.

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