Maharashtra State govt circular asks universities to return the fund

In Maharashtra, the higher and technical education department has written a letter to all 11 non-agricultural universities urging them to return the remaining amount of the funded that was given to them by the state. According to the letter, universities failing to do so would not get funds from the state in the near-term. On Mach 13, the department had written to the universities as well as the state director of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a centrally funded initiative under HRD ministry, together with the director of higher education. The department asked them to send the balance amount in their accounts to the government.

According to members of the universities, it was the first time that the government had sent such a letter to the universities, which are autonomous in nature. A number of them have also shown their disagreement with the corresponding vice-chancellors. Before this, the state government in the Assembly had projected that universities should have approvals for purchases from the department. This was neglected by the Speaker. The letter by the higher education department was according to the guideline of a letter addressed to it by the state finance department on March 9. It also informs that all institutions must send the balance amount by March 16.

As per the letter, the institutions were also told to submit a compliance report to the finance ministry. The state government assigns salary allowances to the universities for teaching and non-teaching staff. There are also special provisions for some chairs made for research, as well as state contribution to colleges by means of RUSA initiative. Apart from state, universities receive funds from several other bodies such as the University Grants Commission, department of science and technology, international collaborations, industrial joint ventures.

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