Major Haul Of School System Under NEP

Minister slammed mismanagement by private institutes

- Dheeraj Bengrut

PUNE: Maharashtra higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil on Sunday served a firm message to private educational institutions, calling out poor management despite substantial financial support provided by the government.

Speaking at an event organised by the Progressive Education Society and the Association of Self-Financed Institutes, Patil said, "Institutions must take their responsibilities seriously and improve both transparency and accountability."

The minister pointed out that nearly 80 per cent of students in Maharashtra are covered under various scholarship schemes that pay either 50 per cent or the full tuition fee. He said that with this level of support, running an educational institution should not be financially challenging. "However, managing an institution is not just about receiving funds. The administrators must step up. That responsibility is not being fulfilled," Patil remarked. He also criticised the lack of initiative shown by institutions in securing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, despite Maharashtra being home to a large number of companies. "Appoint dedicated officers to pursue CSR funding; this will significantly reduce dependence on government grants and ease their financial burden," he said.