Premium

Pune Campus of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University to be ready by September: V-C

Campus spread across 30,000 sq ft

The new campus will have an administrative building, a bookstore, library, reading room with capacity of 150, a computer centre with 50-100 machines, learning material for students, and other facilities (Image: Unsplash)

The construction of the long-awaited Pune campus of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), Nashik, is expected to be completed by September in a 30,000 square feet building campus, said vice-chancellor Sanjeev Sonawane. Land for the building was allotted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to the YCMOU in Balewadi in 2013, but progress was stalled had been years after this allocation.

“The land was allotted many years ago but nothing had gone ahead. In my tenure I tried to tender it through the Public Works Department and now it is at the finishing stage. Within two months it will be ready. The civil work is completely completed, only the interior work and electrical work is remaining,” he said.

Currently, the Pune regional centre operates out of the Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe School Library at PMC School number 5 on Kumthekar Road. This space inside a school building was wholly inadequate for the operation of a regional centre of a University. According to the university website, only seven staff members were employed at the centre in 2020, the last year for which the data is available.

Sonawane added, “We want to shift the centre to our own building with more facilities for counsellors and students. There will be a computer centre with 50-100 computers which will facilitate our central assessment programme, which is an online on-screen evaluation, so Pune examiners can assess the on-screen evaluation at the new campus. Regular academic and counselling services will also be there.”

In a government resolution passed on July 3 by the Higher and Technical Education Department, the state government had approved Rs 4.12 crore for the “construction of the Divisional Center buildings of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik in Pune”.

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

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories