Maharashtra Minister orders state universities to establish strict measures against examination paper leaks

Mumbai: In a decisive move to protect academic integrity across Maharashtra, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil has instructed state universities to formulate and issue comprehensive operational guidelines to prevent examination paper leaks.

Following an online review meeting with vice-chancellors of all state public universities, Patil directed institutions to align their regulatory frameworks with national anti-leak models and issue official circulars establishing direct personal accountability for examination staff. The measures arrive in response to widespread public concern and nationwide student demonstrations following recent high-profile paper leak scandals in competitive entry examinations.

Alongside anti-tampering directives, the ministry outlined several structural reforms aimed at standardising higher education under the National Education Policy. Universities have been instructed to align their academic calendars, prepare curricula for upcoming four-year honours programmes, and establish resource-sharing university clusters across the state.

In a parallel administrative development, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a unified legislative framework governing self-financed private skill universities, establishing strict land, infrastructure, and financial endowment requirements for sponsoring bodies alongside a non-refundable application fee of one crore rupees.

(Inputs from IANS)