The Government of Maharashtra has announced a plan to audit the campuses of all government colleges and institutions in the state. It will be the first time that such an audit will be conducted. The government runs 57 technical institutions, 28 colleges for higher education, and four Arts colleges, with all these institutions expected to undergo a structural audit.
It is estimated that around 45,000 students study in government colleges or institutions in the state. The plan includes the audit of historic institutions like Sydenham and Elphinstone College. “There is no data on the structural fitness of colleges run by the government. Thousands of students are studying in these colleges and their safety is the government’s priority,” said Uday Samant, who is the Minister of Higher and Technical Education of Maharashtra.While this move will cover government institutions, some believe a similar plan should be set in place for aided and unaided colleges as well.