Connect with us
Wednesday,17-September-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Turning universities ‘Atma Nirbhar’: Governor Koshyari holds meeting with VCs of public universities in Maharashtra

Published

on

 Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday called upon vice chancellors of public universities in Maharashtra to turn universities ‘Atma Nirbhar’ to attain the goal of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.

Stating that many private universities are doing well through self-finance and distance education programmes, he called upon the State universities to take steps to implement the National Education Policy in an effective manner.

The Governor who is also the Chancellor of public universities in the State was addressing the full-fledged meeting of vice chancellors of Maharashtra’s non-agricultural universities at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. 

Stating that the National Education Policy lays thrust on culture and Indian knowledge system, Governor Koshyari asked vice chancellors to create small Advisory Committees comprising dedicated officers, professors, young people and resource persons to advise them on the effective implementation of the policy in universities. The Governor said he will hold a follow up meeting of vice chancellors within six months to discuss the Action Taken on the issues agreed upon in the meeting.

Participating in the meeting, Chief Minister Mr Eknath Shinde asserted that the State will implement the National Education Policy in the best possible manner. He said the state government has decided to make suitable amendments in the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016 to make the selection process of vice chancellor and pro vice chancellors in sync with the guidelines of the University Grants Commission. Stating that the process of selection of vice chancellors will be expedited, he said new search committees for the selection of vice chancellors will be constituted soon.

E

xpressing strong displeasure over the poor performance of some of the universities in Key Result areas such as declaration of results of various examinations on time, Deputy Chief Minister Mr Devendra Fadnavis asked the vice chancellors to take note of the lacunae and make amends quickly.  

Expressing the need for bringing a robust digital system to make the implementation of National Education Policy effective, Mr Fadnavis called for creating a Live Dashboard to report the 17 Key Result Areas of the Vice Chancellors to monitor the situation from time to time. Laying thrust on greater transparency by educational institutions, the Deputy Chief Minister said the findings of the College Inspection Teams should be made available on the websites of the colleges. He said while good progress is being made in achieving higher Gross Enrollment in the State, the Universities must pay focused attention on bringing excellence in education. Mr Fadnavis expressed concern over the low percentage of voter registration among college students.   

Minister of higher education Mr Chandrakant Patil reminded the vice chancellors that there is no option for universities to implement the four year degree course from June 2023 as mandated by the National Education Policy. He warned that action will be taken against those failing to do so. Patil said a Committee of retired vice chancellors will be constituted by the government shortly to address the concerns of vice chancellors in implementing the National Education Policy.  

Taking note of the dismal percentage of the voter registration by students of universities and colleges, he said the Government will issue a Resolution mandating students to get their voter registration for getting admission to the college.

Stating that as against the goal of attaining the enrollment of 50 lakhs students in the higher education system, Maharashtra has enrollment of only 32 lakh students. He called upon universities to run a campaign to encourage higher enrollment.  He also reminded all to take cognisance of the recommendations of NEP regarding providing education in the mother tongue and skill development. 

Minister of Skill Development Mangal Prabhat Lodha asked all universities to open Skill Departments and design innovative skill programmes that would enable youths to find jobs locally. He said his department has sent Rs 5 crore to all universities for opening skill centres. 

Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra Mr Shrikant Deshpande called upon universities to create Electoral Literacy Clubs to involve the students in the democratic process. He said as many as 90 per cent of University and College students are presently out of the Voter Registration list. He called for efforts by universities and the government to ensure cent per cent enrollment of students as voters.

Principal Secretary Higher and Technical Education Mr Vikas Chandra Rastogi briefed the meeting of the Action Taken Report on the previous meeting of the vice chancellors held on 7th April 2018. He apprised the meeting of the steps taken by the Government for the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020.

The meeting discussed issues such as Areas of Concern for Implementation of NEP 2020, Academic Calendar of Universities, Formation of Students Grievance Redressal Cells, Development of User Friendly Websites, Online Payment Facility and Non Availability of Challan, Execution of Memorandums of Understanding, Designing of Self Finance Courses with CSR Funding and Industry Partnerships, NIRF Ranking of Universities, status of autonomy of colleges, implementation of Choice Based Credit System, Implementation of the Recommendations of Examination Committee Reforms, Academic Audit of University Departments and Centres of Competitive Examinations, etc.  Vice Chancellors of various universities also spoke of their concerns and problems in the meeting.

Crime

Mumbai Police Bust Fake Goregaon Call Centre Defrauding Foreigners; 13 Held

Published

on

The Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 12 has uncovered a major scam targeting foreign nationals, following a raid on an unauthorised call centre in Goregaon. The update was first shared by Mumbai Police on X, highlighting how unsuspecting victims were tricked into paying large sums of money under the pretext of antivirus software renewal.

Investigations revealed that the accused were sending fraudulent emails, posing as legitimate antivirus renewal alerts. Once the victims responded, they were coerced into purchasing gift cards ranging between $250 and $500. These cards were then redeemed and converted into cryptocurrency, making it nearly impossible for victims to track their losses.

The racket primarily preyed on foreign nationals unfamiliar with the setup. Officials said the scam was designed to create panic among users by suggesting that their computer security had expired, pressuring them into making quick payments.

During the raid, police seized 15 desktop computers, 10 laptops, and 20 mobile phones used to run the fraudulent operations. Documents and data recovered from the systems are now being examined to determine the scale of the fraud and to identify additional victims.

Thirteen individuals have been arrested in connection with the racket. This includes two owners who were running the operation, one manager overseeing daily activities, and ten tele-caller agents responsible for contacting and convincing the victims. Police said the arrests mark a significant step in cracking down on cybercrime networks exploiting international victims.

The Mumbai Police emphasised that this bust highlights the evolving nature of cybercrime and the need for continuous vigilance. Authorities added that further investigations are underway to uncover links with larger international fraud syndicates.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Protection of religious places in Bhiwandi road expansion project, MLA Raees Sheikh assures protection of religious places after meeting with Municipal Commissioner

Published

on

rais shaikh

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Raees Sheikh has demanded protection of religious places like mosque, temple, gurudwara, and Samaj Mandir in the Bhiwandi road expansion project. He has also demanded rehabilitation and compensation for the victims of the Bhiwandi and Kalyan road expansion project. Raees Sheikh was being accused of supporting the DP plan to benefit the builder lobby, after which Raees Sheikh met the Municipal Commissioner Bhiwandi Nizampur today and made it clear that the road and DP plan and policy are not prepared by the MLA. He said that the road expansion and DP plan should be changed and the protection of religious places should be ensured, on which the Municipal Commissioner Bhiwandi Nizampur assured Raees Sheikh that the protection of religious places will be maintained. If it is an obstacle in the survey, then necessary changes should be made in the project along with ensuring their protection. He said that religious places of any nature will be protected.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Insights On Mumbai Redevelopment: How The New MahaRERA Consent Waiver Speeds Up Projects

Published

on

On September 9, 2025, the Bombay High Court issued a ruling that removes one of the biggest hurdles in Mumbai’s redevelopment landscape. The Court held that new developers do not need two-thirds consent from allottees of a terminated developer to register with the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA). This clarification could unlock thousands of stalled projects, paving the way for faster redevelopment across the city.

Redevelopment has long been central to addressing Mumbai’s housing crunch. The city faces a shortage of nearly 400,000–450,000 units, with over 19,000 cessed buildings and 25,000 dilapidated structures at risk. Mumbai also leads the country in stalled projects, with more than 2,000 delayed, often because of regulatory bottlenecks. By removing the consent requirement, the Court has created a clearer, quicker pathway for societies and developers to move forward.

The ruling arose from a petition by Tuvin Constructions LLP against MahaRERA’s insistence on consent from allottees of the terminated developer in the Vilas Vaibhav Co-operative Housing Society project.

The society’s original 2014 agreement with Aditya Developer was terminated in 2023 by arbitral award.

In October 2024, the society appointed Tuvin as the new developer.

When Tuvin sought MahaRERA registration in March 2025, consent under Section 15 of RERA was demanded.

The Court, led by Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash, held there was no privity of contract between the new developer and the old allottees, directing MahaRERA to process registration without delay.

The judges emphasized: once an erstwhile developer’s rights are terminated, old allottees cannot extend claims to the new developer.

Consent Not Needed: No two-thirds consent required from old allottees once a termination is legally valid.

Society-Led Decisions: Registration can proceed with the society’s new agreement.

Legal Consistency: Court reaffirmed that there is no contractual link between the new developer and prior purchasers.

Immediate Effect: Request for a stay was declined; registration to move forward promptly.

Redevelopment is already reshaping Mumbai: by May 2024, over 31,000 projects were approved, with 15–25% of registrations tied to redevelopment. Yet, MahaRERA has suspended 4,800 projects for non-compliance, while 7,500 cases remain pending. Many of these stem from consent disputes—the very issue addressed by this ruling.

For societies, the ruling brings:

Faster timelines: Restart projects in weeks instead of months.

Stronger bargaining power: Better terms on carpet area, amenities, and possession timelines.

Legal clarity: Provided the termination is sound (e.g., arbitral award), fresh registration no longer hinges on old allottee consent.

Important: This does not change the rule that 51% member approval is required at the initial redevelopment stage. The ruling applies only to post-termination registrations.

Claims by purchasers under the old developer remain with that developer.

The decision prevents viable projects from being trapped in consent disputes, increasing the supply of redeveloped housing stock.

Yes, where a previous developer’s rights are legally terminated and a new developer is appointed.

Societies must pass a resolution, sign a new development agreement, and file Form A for MahaRERA registration—no old allottee consents needed.

Yes. By removing one of the most contentious hurdles, the ruling should significantly cut timelines for many stalled projects.

Absolutely. Full disclosure, adherence to timelines, and regulatory transparency remain mandatory.

This verdict marks a turning point for Mumbai’s redevelopment journey. By streamlining the consent process, it ensures that societies, developers, and ultimately homebuyers benefit from faster, fairer redevelopment.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending