Maharashtra Desperately Needs World Class Technical University Top Policy Issue of 2010

The paper presents, in brief, the need and importance of world class technical university for the creation of the future of people of Maharashtra. It outlines new visions and new missions for the university, in the global context. Technical university is different from traditional university, in the sense it is enterprising, oriented to technology and industrial development. It generates and disseminates new knowledge ill emerging technologies. It is a spearheaded organization promoting employment in Hi Tech of high income.

The paper states that Maharashtra desperately needs, not one, but four technical universities that too of world class standard. This is essential to win in global competition, and to fulfill the rising aspirations of people. Technical university takes technology to vast masses, and maximizes its social impact.

Transnational intellectual inputs, as well as experiences in establishing universities from within India and abroad, are critical. The universities should essentially be enterprising, relevant, and purposeful for near and distant future. The universities should be enterprising doing teaching, research, innovation etc, what the counterpart universities in developed countries do. What are the world proven policies and practices, and how to bring them? The paper explains.

The technical universities will have to be competitive not only by local standards but by international. They should be able to upgrade the standard of education in all the engineering colleges, in urban as well as rural. The design of the university should be such that it should not be just an examination body but doing multifaceted activities like research, innovation, technology transfer, patent&IPR, and spinning off new technology based companies, entrepreneurship by adopting PPP mode. The universities should add value in colleges. How the universities can become world class? No doubt, it is a long journey, but the route chosen has to be right. The paper identifies factors which when attended enables University to become world class.

Each university should have an innovative character. It should help industry to win and become a "light house". It should be compatible to globalization. It should be adaptive to cope with changing situations especially in industry, from time to time. If the concept and design of the university is right, it will be easy during Implementation. This is a very important project bringing high returns to the economy and securing the future. Now is time for Maharashtra, to aim high. Low aim is a crime. It is too late; but letter late, than never; more than ten years before AICTE/UGC recommended. It should now make a Jump start by establishing not one but four World Class Technical Universities. The paper explains how to go about.