Contribute to Make in India campaign: Rao to varsities

He stressed the implementation of credit framework for skills and education under the “National Skills Qualification Framework” and called for a robust monitoring mechanism. Rao said more opportunities for apprenticeship had to be created to improve the employability of graduates.

He also called for “Teach in Maharashtra” and “Study in Maharashtra” initiatives to attract top scholars and students to the state. He said as Maharashtra had already emerged as a medical tourism destination because of “excellent and affordable healthcare infrastructure”, one could promote the state as an “attractive destination for higher education” too.

Rao added, “I want all our universities to take up a campaign of ‘Study in Maharashtra’ to attract students from across the globe. For this, we need to strengthen our infrastructure, improve accommodation, teaching and research and highlight the affordability aspect of our education.”

The governor’s address also stressed upon the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. “The Swachh Bharat mission aims at a ‘Clean India’ by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. I seek wholehearted participation of universities in the Abhiyan,” he said.

Rao also asked universities to take exemplary action against colleges that do not have necessary physical infrastructure and little financial resources to appoint qualified faculty.

“The universities must not shy away from their statutory responsibility of monitoring such colleges. The government also needs to set up a high powered task force to guide the universities and monitor the action taken by them in this regard,” he said.

Calling for an early enactment of the proposed Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2011, he said the higher and technical education department was planning to establish a board for selection of teachers and principals of the colleges to curb unethical practices.

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