Sir J J School of Art set to become deemed university

The Sir J J School of Art is set to soon become a deemed university under the ‘De Novo’ category. The state government has dissolved a committee set up to convert the art school into a state-level university, a decision taken by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime. A government resolution issued in this regard on Thursday stated that the committee formed in March to study possibilities of setting up a state-level art university by combining Sir J J Institute of Applied Arts, Sir J J School of Arts and Sir J J College of Architecture, has been dissolved.

‘De Novo’ category refers to an institution devoted to innovations in teaching and research in unique and “emerging areas of knowledge”. Officials said the plan to get deemed university status from the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the De Novo category was already in motion and a letter of intent was submitted in this regard in 2021. However, then MVA higher and technical education minister Uday Samant had instead sought to see if the three could be combined to make a state-level art university.

Following this, a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Dr Vijay Khole, former VC of Mumbai University, to study the possibilities for the same. Several alumni and current students had opposed the plan. Many launched a silent protest and also written to former CM Uddhav Thackeray urging him to drop the plan. Dr Rajiv Mishra, Director of the Directorate of Art and the Principal of Sir J J School of Architecture, said: “To get the deemed university status under the De Novo category, it was important for the institute to register as company under Section 8 and the registration process is already in motion.”