MAHARASHTRA

The state legislative assembly on Tuesday cleared theMaharashtra Public Universities(Third Amendment) Act, 2021, which proposes to appoint the minister of higher and technical Education as pro-chancellor and introduces changes in the process for vice-chancellor appointment.

As per the amendment, the selection committee will recommend five names for the post of vice-chancellor of which the will shortlist two and send them to the governor, who is also the chancellor of universities. The governor has to select one of the two names within 30 days. If the state does not approve any of the persons recommended, it may call for a fresh list either from the same committee or after constitution of a new one. Similarly, three names will be shortlisted by the state for the post of pro-chancellor and will be sent to the governor for his selection.

The bill gives wide-ranging powers to the pro chancellor, from chairing the varsityssenateto presiding over the convocation ceremony in the chancellors absence. It also empowers the state to nominate members on thesenate management council. The bill makes way for constitution of the board of preservation and promotion of Marathi language and literature and the board of equal opportunity. A post of the director for the board of preservation and promotion of Marathi language and literature will also be created.

Less than 10% of the youth in the 18 to 19 age bracket are registered as voters in the state, revealed a recent report presented to the government by the chief electoral officer ofMaharashtra.

The Percentage of voters in this age group from Mumbai city and its suburbs figure at the bottom of all the 36 districts; urban areas also generally record lower voter turnout in polls. Regions such as Parbhani, Hingoli and Nanded fare better than the rest.

Data from the Maharashtra chief electoral office shows that only around 5-16% of youth from each of the 36 districts in the 18-19 age group are on electoral rolls. This age group comprises around 0.34% of the total registered voters in the state. When compared with other age groups, including 20-29, 30-39 and 40-49, for instance, where the percentage of registered voters is 68.8%, 92.7%, 111.4%, respectively, the young group only makes up for about 9.5% of its projected Population of 46 lakh.

Nandkumar Vadnere, former principal secretary of state Irrigation department and head of panel to study floods inKrishna riverbasin, on Sunday said the must set up a separate department forflood managementas floods will be a recurring phenomenon inMaharashtra.

Vadnere, while speaking during a webinar organised by the Centre for Climate-change”>Climate Change and Sustainable Studies of the Shivaji University Kolhapur, said the year-long management of floods is necessary to ensure that the cities, towns and villages do not get flooded in case of normal rains.

Vadnere also said there is no need to worry about accumulation of silt in Dams. Currently, the dams have silt not more than 10%, but in the long run, silt may become a cause of worry. Hence, All activities that cause silt accumulation in the dams should be banned by the government, he said.

Maharashtrahas likely become the first state in India to pass a law for procuring medical supplies for public hospitals and medical colleges. The Maharashtra Medical Goods Procurement Authority Act, 2023-passed on Friday after the governor’s assent-seeks to streamline the procurement process by creating a dedicated branch that will solely handle the purchase of medical devices and medicines.

There has been a longstanding demand for a dedicated procurement authority in Maharashtra, especially after the decision to centralise purchases underHaffkine Biopharmaceuticalin 2017 turned out to be a complete catastrophe. The new law will facilitate its creation with financial Resources and manpower to make the government’s medical purchases more swift, efficient, cost-effective and transparent. The medical Education and public Health department jointly make purchases to the tune of Rs 1,800-2,000 crore annually.

The state Education department has decided to implement PMShri Yojana, which provides for comprehensive development of 846 schools in the state.
State project director ofMaharashtra PrathamikShikshan Parishad (Maharashtra Primary Education Council), KailashPagaresaid, “In the second phase of this scheme, schools will be selected from among 408 groups, 28 municipalities, 383 local self-governments, and municipal councils.”

The scheme is implemented through the committee headed by the school education minister at the state level, by the chief executive officer at the district level, and by the municipal commissioner at the municipal level.
The state project director will be the chairman of thestate implementation committee.

Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, access and , human Resources and school Leadership, inclusive practices and gender issues, management, monitoring and administration, and beneficiary satisfaction will be the six key pillars of development under this scheme.