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Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Enforce biometric attendance in colleges, guv tells state varsities
Mumbai: Governor C P Radhakrishnan, chancellor of public universities in the state, has asked all vice-chancellors to make biometric attendance mandatory for staff and students in universities as well as affiliated colleges, reports Yogita Rao. His directive comes amid concern over low attendance in colleges. While principals agree that falling attendance must be tackled, they say implementation of such a directive could be challenging. Mumbai University consequently issued a circular on June 24 for university staff and said that salaries would be linked to attendance. This has been opposed by university staff. It, however, hasn't issued any directive for students yet. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The Governor's directive says attendance should be monitored regularly. While many universities use a biometric attendance system for teaching and non-teaching staff, no such arrangement has been introduced for students. Public universities in Maharashtra are yet to issue circulars to enforce the Governor's directive. One vice-chancellor termed it a 'sensitive' issue. A city college principal said they do have a biometric system for students entering the campus, but not for attendance in each lecture. "The implementation will be challenging, the university will not be able to monitor the functioning of around 900 colleges. Moreover, colleges have failed to impose the 75% attendance norms. Barring a few colleges where the attendance rules are strictly followed, many are unable to get students to attend lectures," said the principal. Another principal pointed out that the universities do not have data on the number of teachers in affiliated colleges. "Aided colleges still have some structured systems in place, at least for the aided courses, but many unaided colleges run without any consistent regulation," said the principal. An educationist, on condition of anonymity, said the only way to fix the problem is a stringent directive from govt. "The govt should enforce the attendance norms through the universities and instruct them to take stringent action against colleges flouting norms. Universities should be asked to set up flying squads to conduct surprise checks to find out if lectures are being conducted. If students are not attending lectures, they should be debarred from exams," said the educationist, adding that it is a systemic problem and will take efforts from multiple stakeholders to resolve. TOI had earlier spoken to principals, who cited poor attendance in classrooms as one of the reasons for poor results in university exams post the pandemic. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Country needs three reforms: Maharashtra governor
COIMBATORE: Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said taxpayers should not be put under pressure and they should be encouraged. Radhakrishnan was addressing a GST Day 2025 event in SNR Auditorium at Nava India in Coimbatore. He said after the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the country's tax revenue increased. Currently, the revenue increased to Rs 22 lakh crore, and the GST revenue in the Coimbatore zone increased by more than Rs 3,000 crore. 'These funds help implement various development projects across the country,' he said. He said the country needs three reforms -- namely judicial, tax and electoral reforms. 'When the One Nation and One Election is implemented, the election expenses will also come down. Reforms are also needed in the income tax department. Those who kept thousands of crores of rupees in black money are getting away with it. They are not punished. No society will progress without eradicating corruption. Those who pay taxes honestly should not be put under pressure. They should be encouraged,' said Radhakrishnan. Dinesh Purushottamrao Pangarkar, principal commissioner, GST Executive Commissionerate, Coimbatore, said when the GST was implemented, the GST Coimbatore zone earned a tax revenue of Rs 1,105 crore. Now, the zone earned a tax revenue of Rs 3,906 crores. Later, Radhakrishnan presented awards to entrepreneurs who paid GST honestly. Addressing reporters, he said criminals should be punished. At the same time, harassing innocent people should be avoided. The police should abandon the trend of punishing an innocent person as a criminal. 'When I took charge as the governor of Maharashtra, I demanded that electricity tariffs be reduced. The Maharashtra state govt set an example by reducing electricity tariffs. I request the Tamil Nadu govt to reduce electricity tariffs,' said Radhakrishnan. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP neta: Cong still hasn't apologized
Mumbai: The till date has not apologised for the Emergency, said politician . At a press meet to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Prasad said the Constitution was strangled by making amendments and asked, "Will Congress leaders apologise for turning the entire country into a prison, torturing opposition members, and committing atrocities on ordinary citizens by forcibly performing sterilisation surgeries?" Over 1.5 lakh people were jailed, said Prasad. He said 253 journalists were arrested. Earlier in the day, '50 Years of Emergency - A Dark Chapter in Indian History,' a felicitation programme for democracy fighters, was organised at Raj Bhavan. CM said the Emergency was an attempt to attack democracy but democracy fighters put up a great fight and thwarted this attempt. Governor C P Radhakrishnan said democracy played an important role in the Indian freedom struggle. The governor felicitated Medha Somaiya, Shripad Musale and 3 others while 250 others were presented a certificate of appreciation. All had been arrested under the MISA Act. TNN
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Faculty, staff shortage hamper NEP rollout
Mumbai: Severe shortage of teachers and non-teaching staff in government and state-aided colleges in Maharashtra is creating hurdles in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). With nearly 11,900 assistant professor posts and 12,500 non-teaching positions in colleges across the state lying vacant as of December 2024, institutions are finding it difficult to maintain academic standards while also adjusting to demands of the new curriculum. CP Radhakrishnan, the governor, is the chancellor of all state universities (PTI) CP Radhakrishnan, the governor and chancellor of all state universities, held a meeting last week with higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil and senior department officials to address the issue. He is considering revising the recruitment criteria and has said he will hold a joint meeting of all state university vice-chancellors soon, education department officials told Hindustan Times. 'It will be very difficult to manage staff for the various courses we need to offer under the NEP. We need permanent staff,' said the principal of a state-aided college in south Mumbai. 'We are hiring teachers on clock-hour basis currently, but most don't continue beyond six months owing to low remuneration at government-approved rates and inflation.' Severe shortage Of the 31,185 sanctioned posts for assistant professors in 1,777 state-aided colleges under the directorate of higher education in Maharashtra, 11,087 positions were vacant as of May 2023. The shortage stems from a freeze on recruitment during the pandemic. Although the state had approved hiring 3,580 assistant professors in 2018, only 1,492 positions were filled before recruitment was paused in May 2020. In 2021, another 2,088 assistant professor posts were approved, but hiring remained sluggish. With NEP implementation underway in autonomous colleges since 2023-24 and extended to all affiliated colleges from 2024-25, the pressure on existing faculty has increased manifold. This is more so because new skill-based and practical subjects introduced under the NEP demand more classroom hours and specialised instruction. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also directed all states to ensure that at least 80% teaching positions are filled to maintain grades awarded by the National Academic Accreditation Council (NAAC). Ramesh N Zade, president, National Forum for Quality Education, said that the NEP recommends a faculty-student ratio of 1:15 for undergraduate science practicals and 1:10 for postgraduate practicals, which universities in the state were unable to adhere to despite contrary claims on paper. 'Most public universities in the state have created batches of 15-16 students for undergraduate courses and 10 for postgraduate courses in science. But they don't have faculty to support such small classes,' Zade said. Recruitment efforts In April this year, the state government submitted a fresh proposal to Radhakrishnan, the governor and chancellor, to recruit 4,435 assistant professors – nearly 40% of the 11,087 vacant positions. A separate proposal was submitted for hiring nearly 3,000 non-teaching staff to manage the administrative workload brought on by NEP-related activities such as admissions, examinations, and data reporting. During his meeting with the higher education minister and officials from the department last week, Radhakrishnan asked for all appointments to be based strictly on merit. Officials who were privy to the meeting said that the current recruitment policy gives 80% weightage to a candidate's qualifications, publications, experience, and teaching ability, and 20% weightage to their interview. During the meeting, some universities raised concerns about the formula, saying it unfairly favoured PhD holders while undervaluing those with national/ state eligibility test (NET/SET) qualifications. 'The governor is considering a revised 75-25 formula to resolve the issue and will convene a meeting of all state university vice-chancellors soon,' an official told HT. Vice-chancellors will also be asked to determine a marking system for recruitment that balances academic merit with university rankings and ensures fairness in awarding marks for higher degrees, officials mentioned. Professor Kushal Mude, national convenor of the All India NET and SET Teachers Organisation, said a special recruitment drive was needed to address the situation. 'As per ministry of education and UGC guidelines, 100% teaching posts in all higher education institutions implementing the NEP must be filled. There are nearly 15,000 vacant positions across government colleges, universities, and aided institutions in the state. A special 100-day recruitment drive must be undertaken in mission mode to bridge the gap,' Mude said.
United News of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
RSS has evolved into a respected global outfit: Maha Guv
Mumbai, June 20 (UNI) Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which was founded in 1925, has evolved into a respected global organisation, with branches across many countries, according to a statement issued here on Friday. The Governor was speaking on the occasion of a book release ceremony in Raj Bhavan titled 'Why Are We in the RSS...?' written by author, ideologue and RSS pracharak Ramesh Patange. Countering what he termed as the false narrative that the RSS is an upper caste organisation, Governor Radhakrishnan asserted that RSS has always embodied inclusivity, rooted in the core values of Sanatana Dharma — equality, service, and unity. Complimenting Patange for bringing out a book on RSS in the organisation's centenary year, the Governor praised Patange for dispelling through well-researched evidence, historical facts, and reasoned arguments, the politically motivated myth that the RSS is an upper-caste organisation. He further noted that RSS volunteers have consistently risen to serve the nation during times of crisis—whether during earthquakes, floods, droughts, or railway accidents across the country. Reflecting on the organisation's journey, the Governor acknowledged that the RSS has faced numerous challenges over the past 100 years, including two bans — one following the tragic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Yet, he said, the dedication of thousands of swayamsevaks and pracharaks has ensured that the organisation remains strong and vibrant. He also commended RSS workers for fostering emotional integration between the northeastern states and the rest of the country. The Governor pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, himself a former pracharak, exemplifies the spirit of selfless service inspired by the RSS. He said under the leadership of the Prime Minister, India not only provided free Covid-19 vaccinations to its citizens but also extended support to other nations through vaccine exports. Dr Ashwin Ranjaniker, translator of Patange's original Marathi book 'Aamhi Sanghat Ka Aahot?...', secretary to the Governor Dr. Prashant Narnaware and invitees were present. 'Saptahik Vivek' has published the book on the occasion of the centenary year of the RSS. The book has a foreword by RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat. UNI AAA PRS
