About Us

The Directorate of Higher Education was entrusted with the responsibility of the Management of Non ‐ agricultural Universities and its Degree Colleges of higher education in the faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, law, Education, and Non ‐ AICTE in the State. The picture presented below will show the scenario of the higher education system in Maharashtra.

In the year 1969, the State Government had introduced 10+2+3 systems of education and started the number of Senior Colleges in the State to impart Higher Education. The number of these colleges increased immensely after the formation of the Directorate of Higher Education on 31‐10‐ 1984. Consequently, the administrative responsibilities of the Director of Higher Education have enormously increased and the centralized management of all the colleges had become very difficult from the State level Directorate located at Pune. Thus the need was felt to decentralize the organization which has resulted in the creation of 10 regional offices in the State to oversee the functioning of colleges in the respective regions. The 10 offices of Regional Joint Directors are located at Mumbai, Panvel, Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, Aurangabad, Nanded, Jalgaon, Amravati, and Nagpur.

The functions of Directorate are categorized into the following three broad categories: A) Planning and Co‐ordination; B) Academic Functions and C) Advisory Functions

1. Planning & Coordination:
   1. To prepare consolidated plans, policies in the sphere of Higher Education in the State by the guidelines that may be issued by the University Grants Commission from time to time, and to assist in their implementation, keeping in view the overall priorities and perspectives of a Higher Education in the State;
   2. To assist the State Govt. in respect of determination and maintenance of standards and suggest remedial action wherever necessary;
   3. To evolve perspective plans for the development of Higher Education in the State;
   4. To forward the development programs of Universities and Colleges in the State at the State Govt. along with its comments and recommendations;
   5. To monitor the progress of implementation of such developmental programs;
   6. To promote cooperation and coordination of the educational institutions among themselves and explore the scope for interaction with industry and other related establishments;
   7. To formulate the principles as per the guidelines of the Government and to decide upon, approve and sanction new educational institutions by according permission keeping in view the various norms and requirements to be fulfilled;
   8. To suggest ways and means of augmenting additional resources for Higher Education in the State;
2. Academic Functions:
   1. To encourage and promote innovations in curricular development, restructuring of courses, and updating of syllabi in the University and the Colleges.
   2. To promote and coordinate the program of Autonomous Colleges and to monitor its implementation.
   3. To devise steps to improve the standards of examinations conducted by the Universities and suggest necessary reforms;
   4. To facilitate training of teachers in Colleges and Universities;
   5. To develop programs for greater academic cooperation and interaction between University teachers and College teachers and to facilitate mobility of students and teachers within and outside the State;
   6. To conduct entrance examination for admission to institutions of Higher Education and render advice on admissions
   7. To conduct sports, games, physical education, and cultural activities in the universities and colleges;
   8. To encourage extension activities and promote interaction concerned with agencies with regional planning and development.
   9. To prepare an overview report on the working of the universities and the colleges in the State and to furnish a copy of the report to the state Govt.
3. Advisory Functions To advise the Government:
   1. To link research work of educational institutions with that of the research agencies and industry, keeping in view the overall research needs of the State;
   2. On the statutes and Ordinances to various Universities in the State (excluding Central Universities) and on the statutes proposed by the Universities in the State.
   3. In the formulation of the schemes in the State;
   4. To make new institutions self-sufficient and viable;
   5. On the policy of ‘earning while learning
   6. To perform any other functions necessary for the furtherance of Higher Education in the State.

LIST OF REGIONAL OFFICES UNDER THE PURVIEW OF DIRECTORATE

LIST OF NON‐AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES UNDER THE PURVIEW OF DIRECTORATE