In pursuance to the provisions of the Maharashtra Universities Act, 1994, the state government has recently set up the Maharashtra State Council for Higher Education. This is an advisory body on higher studies that includes technical, professional and medical disciplines.

The body comprising over forty members will include the chief minister and minister for higher education as ex-officio chairman and vice chairman of the council. The other members include ministers and secretaries of higher education, medical education and sports, two teacher's representatives, four MLAs, 2 MLCs, ten eminent educationists and all the state university vice chancellors.

The president of the Maharashtra University and College Teachers Organisation (MFUCTO), C R Sadashivanwhile welcoming the formation of the council maintained that it should have been done five years back.

The term of the council is five years from its first meeting. As per the Act, it is supposed to meet twice a year.

One of the selected member of the council, Dr K K Theckedath ,member, executive committee of MFUCTO maintained that the council shall act as a thinktank of higher education. ``It is loosely based on UGC minus the latter's of power of awarding or withholding grant. We three members from MFUCTO will put our efforts in initiating the rules and regulations of the council's functioning'', said Dr Theckedath.

Its functions include giving suggestions to determine and maintaining in uniformity of standards among different universities in the state; advice on promotion of co-ordination and co-operation between institutes of different universities, between different universities and between universities and industries; suggesting ways and means to increase resources etc.

The hitch is it can neveract as an executive body. The universities will continue to be autonomous and all the suggestions of the council will be routed via the state government. The state government will ultimately decide on whether or not to implement a recommendation. A member of a teacher's union maintained that pressure lobbies can always be formed to ensure the successful implementation of recommendations.

The increasing falling in standard of colleges and differences in standards are some of the areas that requires urgent attention from the council, said Sadashivan.