MUMBAI: In academic year 2019-20, the first cluster university of Maharashtra will commence operation in South Mumbai, confirmed the state education minister Vinod Tawde on Thursday. The university, which will be the second university in Mumbai, will be named as Dr Homi Bhabha Cluster University (HBCU). This cluster will contain four prominent colleges – Institute of Science, Sydenham College, Elphinstone College and Government B.Ed College as integral colleges.
The specialty of this university is that it will have Choice-Based Credit Syst-em (CBCS) programme. CBCS was launched by UGC in the year 2016, where the students have a choice to choose from the prescribed courses, which are referred as core, elective or minor or soft skill courses and the entire assessment is grade-based on a credit system.
Further, the aim of CBCS is to redefine the curriculum and allow easy mode of mobility to various educational institutions spread across the world along with the facility of transfer of credits earned by students. “In this cluster, there are four different types of colleges. Be it Science, Arts, or other skill-based courses. Students can choose for themselves, as per their preferences, and select their subjects and courses,” Mr Tawde said on Thursday.
Homi Bhabha Cluster University, is the second university in the city. There won’t be any separate infrastructure or campus for this university, all the degrees, diplomas and certificates will have a stamp of HBCU administration.
When asked if this will affect the MU if students prefer to take admission in Cluster University henceforth, Mr. Tawde said, “Homi Bhabha University is not for competition but contribution. MU has a lot of burden since the number of affiliated colleges it has is high in number. The new university will reduce the burden for a better acc-ountability.”
According to sources, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shi-ksha Abhiyan, a scheme for development in higher education in India by ministry of human resource development has sanctioned '25 crore for the university. Further the state has three more cluster universities in pipeline.
