Mumbai, March 18: Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor of the state’s public Universities, Jagdish Mukhi, held a video conference with university vice-chancellors from Lok Bhavan for the first time since taking office. During the meeting, he urged the vice-chancellors to improve their national rankings by setting periodic goals.
He emphasized the need for universities to strengthen their ties with schools to enhance the gross enrollment ratio of students and encourage them to pursue higher education. In this context, he instructed universities to undertake innovative initiatives under the ‘School Connect’ program, advocating for an out-of-the-box approach during implementation.
The Governor highlighted the significance of the ‘Swayamsiddha’ initiative aimed at empowering women and enhancing employability through skill Education, urging universities to implement it seriously. He stated that Lok Bhavan would review the implementation of both the ‘School Connect’ and ‘Swayamsiddha’ initiatives and that universities would need to submit quarterly reports on these efforts.
Additionally, he mentioned that universities demonstrating exceptional performance in these initiatives could be considered for awards such as medals or trophies. Successful initiatives launched by universities would also be replicated in other institutions.
The Governor indicated that he would soon hold a detailed discussion with all vice-chancellors. In his opening remarks, the Governor’s Secretary, Prashant Narnaware, provided information regarding the implementation of the National education Policy, national rankings of universities, women’s empowerment, the Swayamsiddha initiative, skill development, and the ‘School Connect’ program.
Meanwhile, a 17-member group of senior military and civil service officials from India and friendly nations met with Governor Jagdish Mukhi during their study tour of Maharashtra at Lok Bhavan. The group is currently undergoing training in economic diplomacy at the National Defence College.
The delegation included Brigadier-level officers from the Indian Navy, Air Force, and Army, as well as officials from the Revenue Service. Senior military officials from Russia, Oman, Indonesia, Nigeria, Nepal, and Tanzania were also part of the group, led by Major General Harkirat Singh, a senior faculty member at the National Defence College.