Pune varsity reserves 70% quota for locals

One June 6, the university senate passed this ordinance, which is applicable to the enrollment of more than 4,500 on-campus students. Out of these 4,500 seats, the university will reserve 70 per cent seats (around 3,150) for students who hold a graduation degree from University of Pune only and also are domicile of Maharashtra state.

The Pune university's Board of College and University Development (BCUD) Director Pandit Vidyasagar confirmed this while speaking to Business Standard . "Similar rules exist in all state-universities but there has not been any concrete practice about where to follow these rules and where to not. We believe, the universities have been given certain jurisdictions only to help local students and hence the decision."

"Prior to this, there was no limit on the number of "non-Pune University" and "non-Maharashtra domicile" students to be admitted to all the professional master's degree courses conducted by university departments.

The same has now been limited to 30 per cent of the overall number of students for a particular course. In case of non-professional master's degree programmes, the limit for non-university and non-maharashtra students has been increased from 20 per cent to 30 per cent," added Vidyasagar.

The university currently has 50 on-campus departments categorised into science, arts, management, law and social sciences divisions. The university offers more than 80 master's degree courses within its premises. The new decision would be applicable immediately from academic year starting July this year.

The decision, however, is being criticised by a large number of non-Maharashtrian students as well as students who move to Pune from various corners of Maharashtra itself. There is an estimated population of more than 300,000 non-Maharashtrian students studying in Pune in various colleges and private institutions in variety of disciplines.

"On one hand, the university is going global and wants to have a campus in Dubai and on the other hand, it wants to restrict non-Maharashtrian students joining the university programmes. International students, students from other universities based in Maharashtra and students from other states have all been grouped under the 30 per cent quota, which is ridiculous.

For years, students from states like Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal have been studying at University of Pune. If such rules are forced on outsiders then the university would unnecessarily lose its popularity," said Anil Shakti Singh, who recently completed Master of Science (MSc) from the university and comes from Bihar.

"This is copying and following the philosophy of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray continues (who has already warned Pune-based private engineering and medical institutions to provide 80 per cent seats to Maharashtrian students).

The University has given 70 per cent quota to localites and Raj Thackeray has demanded 80 per cent quota for localites in private institutions. If this continues, then education opportunities for outsiders are closed in Pune," irked another non-Maharashtrian student Paresh Sachdev.

Undeterred, the university has asked all its department heads and officials involved in admission procedure to implement the newly passed ordinance-181 with immediate effect. The admission procedure for various programmes has already started.