The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday, 11 August approved a sweeping overhaul of the regulatory framework governing self-financed private skill universities in the state. The move replaces a patchwork of university-specific Acts with a single unified statute — the Maharashtra Private Skill Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2024 — and simultaneously repeals the earlier Government Resolution dated 5 February 2021.

Key Provisions of the New Framework

Under the revised rules, sponsoring bodies seeking to establish a private skill university must submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) accompanied by a non-refundable fee of ₹1 crore. Once a Letter of Intent (LoI) is issued, sponsors have one year to file compliance reports. Up to two one-year extensions may be granted at ₹50 lakh per year — equivalent to 50 per cent of the original proposal fee. Failure to comply within the permitted window triggers automatic cancellation of the LoI, with no exceptions noted in the Cabinet decision.

Any subsequent amendment or modification to a university's constituent Act will attract a processing fee of ₹50 lakh.

Land and Infrastructure Requirements

The Cabinet has prescribed differentiated land norms based on geography. New skill universities will require a minimum of 25 acres in rural areas, 15 acres at tehsil or district headquarters, and 10 acres in urban zones — excluding BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Thane Municipal Corporation limits. Within Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MRDA) zones, the threshold is 10 acres plus an endowment fund of ₹10 crore.

In Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburbs, and Thane Municipal limits, a standalone building with at least 15,000 sq metres of constructed space is mandatory. Such buildings may be self-owned or leased for a minimum of 30 years, though land transfer rights are explicitly prohibited.

Social Work Education Expansion After Two-Decade Freeze

In a separate but significant decision, the Cabinet approved the creation of independent Social Work faculties within traditional colleges and permitted existing Social Work colleges to launch additional unaided divisions from the 2027–28 academic year. This reverses restrictions that had been in place since 2001 and 2004, when the Social Justice Department froze new college approvals and seat expansions citing market saturation.

The policy shift follows the transfer of Social Work education to the Higher and Technical Education Department in February 2024, after which an expert committee recommended aligning the framework with the National Education Policy (NEP). Maharashtra currently has 69 recognised Social Work colleges — comprising 47 aided, 18 permanently unaided, 1 partially aided, 2 with aided faculties, and 1 closed institution.

New Court at Hadgaon to Ease Judicial Backlog in Nanded

The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a District and Additional Sessions Court along with a Public Prosecutor's Office at Hadgaon in Nanded district, eastern Maharashtra. The project carries a sanctioned outlay of ₹1.83 crore and will create 25 posts — 19 regular and 6 outsourced — plus 4 dedicated positions in the prosecutor's office.

The new facility is expected to absorb 671 pending cases — 344 civil and 327 criminal — currently handled by courts in Nanded, significantly reducing travel time and legal costs for litigants in the region. This is part of a broader state push to improve judicial access in underserved eastern Maharashtra.

Together, Tuesday's Cabinet decisions signal a concerted effort by the Fadnavis government to modernise higher education governance, expand social sector capacity, and decentralise judicial infrastructure across the state.