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What SPPU’s academic and administrative audit is all about

SPPU in Pune will carry out administrative, academic, and statutory audits of its associated institutes.

Savitribai Phule Pune University (File photo)

The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is undertaking an audit of all its affiliated institutions and colleges. Before this, an academic audit of affiliated institutions was carried out in 2022.

However, this time, the audit will cover all such institutes’ academic and administrative aspects over three years.

What will the SPPU audit check for?

Dr Parag Kalkar, Pro Vice Chancellor, SPPU, told The Indian Express the audit is for three types of compliances in associated institutes — administrative, academic, and statutory.

Under the administrative compliance, the administrative setup required for a college to run — necessary infrastructure, faculty, an approved principal, an approved librarian, and teaching and non-teaching staff — will be checked.

The academic calendar, student feedback, and other related issues will also be covered by SPPU under the second type.

Committees mandated by the Centre and state government, such as the college development committee, sexual harassment committee, equal opportunity cell, National Education Policy (NEP) implementation committee, and other compliances will be checked for under statutory compliance.

What are the audit phases?

The audit will also be carried out in three phases. The first phase, currently underway, involves affiliated institutes and colleges collecting and submitting information to the university.

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In a circular released on March 29, SPPU extended the deadline for colleges to submit the data online from March 31 to April 9. Kalkar said this extension was provided as some colleges had not yet submitted the data due to its comprehensiveness.

The second phase would be a ‘self-appraisal phase’ during which colleges would grade themselves based on the data they have collected.

In the last phase, committees from the university would travel to the colleges for a physical inspection of the submitted data. Teams will be formed and trained for the inspection of these colleges. This committee will also provide recommendations to colleges for improvement.

‘Self-realisation about the improvement’

SPPU plans to audit 33 per cent of its affiliated institutions this year, and the rest are expected in the following two years. This year, the colleges to be audited will be selected at random.

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“The audit is not just meant to create pressure on the colleges for the physical inspection. The college will also have self-realisation about the improvement that is required after they have collected this data. It is an important process to know the things they are doing or not doing. They will get the idea of what is and what needs to be done,” said Kelkar.

“The university will also get an insight for future development, the areas we need to focus on, and what we need to discuss with principals and head of the institutions.”

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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