Maharashtra Plans Panel To Review Sites For New Colleges Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the constitution of a sub-committee to examine locations outside universities’ five-year plans for setting up new colleges from the 2027-28 academic year. As per PTI, the decision was taken during a meeting of the Maharashtra State Higher Education and Development Commission (MAHED) chaired by Fadnavis at the state secretariat on Tuesday. The panel will scrutinise locations that have been found eligible by universities and consider representations submitted by public representatives and educational institutions in Maharashtra. The sub-committee will assess the required criteria and submit its recommendations to the state government. According to the official release issued after the meeting, the move is aimed at expanding access to higher education and facilitating the establishment of colleges in areas that may not currently be covered under universities’ five-year plans. The meeting also reviewed arrangements for the Common Entrance Test (CET). Fadnavis directed officials to increase the number of CET examination centres so students can get centres closer to their places of residence. At the same time, the chief minister stressed that expansion of examination centres should not compromise examination security and transparency. The CET Cell has been asked to establish an effective system for monitoring and controlling examination centres. CET Cell Commissioner Dilip Sardesai presented the current status of the engineering admission process for the 2026-27 academic year. The meeting also discussed measures to make the centralised admission process simpler, transparent and more student-friendly. The state government also highlighted a rise in the proportion of female students enrolling in engineering courses following its decision to provide free higher education to women. According to the figures cited at the meeting, the share of girls in engineering admissions increased from 32.72 per cent in 2023-24 to 37.27 per cent in 2026-27. Lakshima Sareen is a Senior Copy Editor with the Digital Education Desk at Times Now, specialising in education news, exam updates, and policy reporti... View More