Cluster university guidelines issued, more than five colleges can be clubbed together

As per the guidelines issued earlier, minimum of two and maximum of five colleges located in one district and run by single management could be clubbed together to form Cluster University. But as per the GR, the limit of maximum colleges can be extended.

An official from the department said, “But such relaxation is not available for all. State will have the power to individually evaluate such applications. Final approval will be subject to this evaluation.”

The GR states that it will be mandatory for each cluster university to form its own start-up as well as incubation and innovation centre. “It is a mandatory requirement for any university, thereby cluster universities will also have to fulfil the parameter,” said a department official.

State’s higher and technical education department also held a workshop on Wednesday for colleges to understand various rules and regulations and to explain the guidelines in detail.

According to information shared by office of the Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, it was clarified to participants in workshop that there will be no change in government grants provided to colleges post formation of cluster university. “Most colleges looking forward to become cluster universities do receive government grants for many years. There was a general concern among these colleges whether there will be any change in their grants,” it said. However, the GR specifies that management of higher education institutions willing to club its colleges in cluster university set-up will have to keep a deposit of five crore.