Ratnagiri to have university dedicated to oceanic sciences

To propose recommendations on setting up of the university, a four-member committee has been formed.

The State Department for Higher and Technical Education on Wednesday, i.e. October 4, 2020, revealed its plans to set up a university dedicated to oceanic sciences in Konkan’s Ratnagiri district. According to the reports, the department is aiming to utilise the 720 km coastline of the state and provide employment to local youth for services in fisheries, transportation, and tourism sectors through the establishment of the Maharashtra Ocean Applied Sciences University (MOASU). To propose recommendations on setting up of the university, a four-member committee has been formed.

The university will be headed by Dr Sarang Kulkarni, chief instructor at MTDC’s (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) Indian Institute of Scuba Diving and Active Sports, Dr Narsingh Thakur, faculty at CSIR’s National Institute of Oceanography, Dr B B Chougale, faculty at Pune College of Pharmacy, and Dhanraj Mane, director of higher education. The committee has been tasked with submitting a report to the department within three months, and has also been asked to propose the amount of funds and the extent of land required to build the university.