Pune: The long-pending recruitment of teachers at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is expected to be completed by Dec this year, while over 200 law colleges across Maharashtra will be given a six-month window to obtain mandatory recognition from the Bar Council of India (BCI), higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil said on Friday night.Addressing reporters, Patil also announced plans to strengthen financial transparency in higher education institutions by creating a portal where the financial details of more than 1,200 aided colleges will be uploaded for scrutiny. He said the state govt has amended the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, giving itself the power to audit university finances and streamline financial oversight.“We conducted an audit of 20 sample colleges and found that funds were lying idle and were not being utilised. This is not illegal. However, to ensure proper use of these funds, we are planning a portal that will contain the financial details of all institutes so that the money can be put to productive use,” Patil said.Among the other proposals discussed was a scheme for girl students that would allow them to “earn while they learn”, although officials said the details are still being worked out. The department is also finalising a support mechanism for children of single mothers pursuing higher education. A committee constituted on July 17 and headed by SNDT Women’s University vice-chancellor Hemlata Bagla will submit its recommendations within 15 days.Patil said the higher education department has directed all colleges to display detailed admission fee structures, including tuition, development and other approved fees, on campus notice boards and in their prospectuses. The directorate of higher education had warned colleges of action, including withholding salaries, for failing to comply. According to the department, 1,227 of the state’s 1,231 aided colleges have since displayed their approved fee structures.NEP internship workshopA state-level workshop will be held on July 24 at the Maharashtra State Faculty Development Academy (MSFDA), Pune, to implement the mandatory eight to 12 internship credits for undergraduate and postgraduate students under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. Principals, vice-principals and heads of departments from more than 200 colleges across Maharashtra, along with academic and industry experts, are expected to participate.ManasSutra mental health initiativeThe department is also set to launch ManasSutra, a statewide mental health initiative for higher education institutions, next month. The programme, to be coordinated by MSFDA, will train professors, counsellors and student welfare officers to identify early signs of anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns among students and strengthen counselling systems on campuses.The three-day faculty development programme will include 12 expert-led sessions and is aimed at creating a more supportive academic environment amid rising concerns over student stress and suicides.
