New Delhi: The JJ Institute of Applied Arts, JJ School of Arts and JJ College of Architecture in Mumbai are planning to merge and form one state-level university.
An experts committee has been constituted to study and devise a plan for the merger of the three colleges, JJ Institute of Applied Arts, JJ School of Arts and JJ College of Architecture into one state-level university.
The plan prepared for this purpose by the experts committee will be presented to the state government.
The higher and technical education department has issued a government resolution (GR) in this regard.
Dr Vijay Khole, former Vice-Chancellor, Mumbai University, will be the head of the eight-member committee, who will have the liberty to include more members in the study group if required on an invitation basis.
The plan is to include the perspective and opinions of experts and professionals from these special fields. With the formation of one state-level university, it will have academic, financial and administrative liberty.
Tweeting about the development, Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant, stated that the eight-member committee will submit a report on the establishment of a state-level university comprising three colleges.
However, whether the state-level university will operate as an independent university with three colleges, like other cluster universities or will the university have powers to affiliate more colleges offering related courses, is not yet decided, the minister said.
As notified in the GR, the eight-member committee is likely to study nine focus points, such as statutory structure, fundamental facilities, finalising courses, constituting different authorities of the university, and preparing a structure for constitutional requirements.
Apart from that, the committee will also study other posts for appointments, like teaching, non-teaching and administrative posts, deciding financial provisions, including sources of income and enumeration of additional financial burden on the government for this.
According to the reports, the eight-member committee is likely to meet on March 26 for the first time, and they will have to submit the recommendation report after 30 days.
As an independent university focused on specific types of courses, the academic liberty is expected to help the three colleges in providing a palette of industry-oriented courses from the field.
Dr Rajiv Mishra, director of Directorate of Art, who is also one of the member of the committee, said that the JJ Institute of Applied Arts, JJ School of Arts and JJ College of Architecture, are affiliated to Mumbai University with courses different from traditional degrees, that will get undivided attention with the formation of the state-level university.
Academics and admission can be restructured according to the industry requirements. With the establishment of the new university, the burden of affiliated colleges in Mumbai University will be reduced, as more than 850 colleges are affiliated to MU.
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