MAHARASHTRA ACT No. LIII OF 2026.

(First published, after having received the assent of the Governor in the

“Maharashtra Government Gazette”, on the 13th August 2026).

An Act further to amend the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016.

WHEREAS it is expedient further to amend the Maharashtra Public

Universities Act, 2016, for the purposes hereinafter appearing; it is hereby

enacted in the Seventy-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows :—

1. This Act may be called the Maharashtra Public Universities (Fourth

Amendment) Act, 2026.

Mah.

VI of

2017.

Short title.

RNI No. MAHENG /2009/35528

महाारााष्ट्रट शाासन रााजपत्र

असाधाारण भााग आठ

वर्षष १२, अंंक ४७]

गुुरुवार, ऑगस्ट १३, २०२६/श्राावण २२, शकेे १९४८

[पृृष्ठेे 4, किं�ंमत : रुपयेे २७.००

असाधाारण क्रमांं�क १२४

प्रााधि�कृृत प्रकााशन

महाारााष्ट्र वि�धाानमंंडळााचेे अधि�नि�य

म व रााज्यपाालांं�नी प्रख्यापि�त केेलेेलेे अध्यादेेश व केेलेेलेे

वि�नि�य

म आणि� वि�धि� व न्याय वि�भाागाकडूून आलेेली वि�धेेयकेे (इंंग्रजी अनुुवाद).

In pursuance of clause (3) of article 348 of the Constitution of India, the following translation

in English of the Maharashtra Public Universities (Fourth Amendment) Act, 2026, (Mah. Act

No. LIII of 2026), is hereby published under the authority of the Governor.

By order and in the name of the Governor of Maharashtra,

SUPRIYA DHAWARE,

Secretary (Legislation) to Government,

Law and Judiciary Department.

भाग आठ-१२४–१

(१)

महाराष्ट्रõ शासन रा

असाधारण भाग आठ, ऑगस्ट १३, २०२६/श्रावण २२, शके १

2. In section 6 of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016

(hereinafter referred to as “the principal Act”), in sub-section (2),—

(1) before the existing proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted,

namely :—

“Provided that, any institution of the State Government or

Central Government or any institute of national importance in India,

may be associated with or be admitted to the privileges of a university,

even if such institution is situated outside the university area:”;

(2) in the existing first proviso, for the words “Provided that”, the

words “Provided further that” shall be substituted;

(3) in the existing second proviso, for the words “Provided further

that”, the words “Provided also that” shall be substituted.

3. In section 8 of the principal Act, for sub-section (6), the following sub-

section shall be substituted, namely :—

“(6) The State Government shall have right to cause an inspection of

any affiliated, conducted or autonomous college, recognized institution or

the university and university departments, through an officer duly

authorised by it, whenever the State Government deems it necessary to do so.”.

4. After section 35 of the principal Act, the following section shall be

inserted, namely :—

“35A. (1) There shall be the School of Studies under each Faculty in

the university.

(2) The university departments and centres conducting courses of

studies and research in the relevant subjects or group of subjects shall

function under the aegis of the respective School of Studies.

(3) Each School of Study shall be headed by the Director, who shall

be nominated by the Vice-Chancellor, from amongst the Heads of the

Departments who shall have at least five years’ experience of teaching as

professor or associate professor in the university, by rotation, for a period

of not more than three years.

(4) The functioning and administration of the School of Studies,

procedure for nomination of the Director of the School of Studies, terms

and conditions of service of the Director including his duties and

responsibilities, shall be as prescribed by the Statutes.”.

5. In section 65 of the principal Act, after the words “No person” the words

“except an ex-officio member” shall be inserted.

6. In section 70 of the principal Act,—

(i) for sub-section (1) , the following sub-section shall be substituted,

namely:-

“(1) When any vacancy of an elected member of any authority,

other than the Management Council, occurs before the expiry of his

normal term, the vacancy shall be filled by nomination of a person by

the Standing Committee constituted under sub-section (3), who is

otherwise eligible to be elected on the said authority from the same

category.”;

Amendment of

section 6 of

Mah. VI of

2017.

Mah.

VI of

2017.

Amendment of

section 8 of Mah.

VI of 2017.

Insertion of

new section 35

A of Mah. VI of

2017.

School of

Studies.

Amendment of

section 65 of

Mah. VI of

2017.

Amendment of

section 70 of

Mah. VI of

2017.

महाराष्ट्रõ शासन रा

असाधारण भाग आठ, ऑगस्ट १३, २०२६/श्रावण २२, शके १

(ii) in sub-section (2), the words “other than an ex-officio member”

shall be deleted.

7. For section 79 of the principal Act, the following section shall be

substituted, namely :—

“79. (1) There shall be an Ombudsperson in each university to deal

with and decide all types of grievances of teachers and other employees of

the university, affiliated and autonomous colleges and recognized

institutions, other than those managed and maintained by the Central

Government, State Government or a local authority.

(2) The Ombudsperson shall not deal with and decide the grievances

against the State Government including its officials and the grievances

which are within the jurisdiction of the University and College Tribunal.

(3) The Vice-Chancellor shall recommend a panel of three retired

Judges not below the rank of the District Judge, for being appointed as

the Ombudsperson, for the consideration of the State Government.

(4) The State Government shall appoint one of the persons included

in the panel of three persons recommended by the Vice-Chancellor to be

the Ombudsperson for the university.

(5) The Ombudsperson shall be appointed for a term of three years

from the date of assuming office, and shall be eligible for reappointment

for one more term :

Provided that, no Ombudsperson shall hold office after attaining the

age of seventy years.

(6) The State Government may remove the Ombudsperson from office,

on charges of proven misconduct or misbehaviour.

(7) No order of removal of Ombudsperson shall be made except after

an inquiry made in this regard by a person not below the rank of a retired

judge of the High Court, in which a reasonable opportunity of being heard

shall be given to the Ombudsperson.

(8) The Ombudsperson shall be entitled for remuneration and

conveyance charges, as may be determined by the university.

(9) The Ombudsperson shall decide grievances as mentioned in sub-

section (1), after giving reasonable opportunity of being heard to both the

parties.

(10) The Ombudsperson shall hear, settle and decide grievances as

per the law, as far as may be practicable, within three months, from the

date of filing of the complaint.

(11) The university shall establish a Cell headed by the officer of the

university not below the rank of the Assistant Registrar for providing

administrative assistance to the Ombudsperson.”.

Amendment

of section 79

of Mah. VI of

2017.

Ombudsperson.

महाराष्ट्रõ शासन रा

असाधारण भाग आठ, ऑगस्ट १३, २०२६/श्रावण २२, शके १

8. In section 81 of the principal Act, in sub-section (1),—

(i) for clause (b), the following clause shall be substituted, namely :—

“ (b) any party aggrieved by the decision of the Ombudsperson

appointed under this Act ; ” ;

(ii) in the existing proviso, for the words “Grievances Committee” the

word “Ombudsperson” shall be substituted.

9. In section 121 of the principal Act, the following sub-section shall be

added, namely :—

“(9) In the event of the closure of affiliated college, recognized

institution, faculty, course of studies or satellite centre, the management

shall be solely responsible for all liabilities arising out of establishment

and services of teachers, non-teaching employees and other staff affected

by such closure, except such liabilities of the teachers, non-teaching

employees and other staff appointed on the posts aided by the State

Government.”.

10. In section 137 of the principal Act, in sub-section (3), for the words

“as a private student of the university or join correspondence course or any

other external degree or diploma course of the university” the words “as a

student of the degree or diploma programmes offered by the Centre for Distance

Education of the university.” shall be substituted.

Amendment

of section 81

of Mah. VI of

2017.

Amendment

of section 121

of Mah. VI of

2017.

Amendment

of section 137

of Mah. VI of

2017.

ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATION, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY DIRECTOR

SMT. MANISHA KUMBHAR, PRINTED AT GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, 21-A, NETAJI SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD, MUMBAI

400 004 AND PUBLISHED AT DIRECTORATE OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATIONS, 21-A, NETAJI

SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD, MUMBAI 400 004. EDITOR : DIRECTOR, SMT. MANISHA KUMBHAR.