Major hurdle cleared for MU’S sub-centre at Kalyan after civic body grants partial OC
MUMBAI:AFTER a long wait, the University of Mumbai (MU) finally obtained a partial occupancy certificate (OC) from the Kalyandombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) for its sub-centre in Kalyan, clearing a crucial hurdle for opening the campus, the idea for which, was conceived more than a decade ago.
An official at the varsity said the centre, which will house MU’S School of Engineering Sciences (SES) and a service centre of its Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL), will soon be inaugurated. SES and IDOL will both be functional from the upcoming academic year 2018-19, said the official.
On Thursday, the varsity even invited applications from aspirants for Mtech in Computer Science at SES.
The sub-centres were established to offer administrative assistance to university students in various regions under the varsity’s jurisdiction. Currently, the varsity has two sub-centres – one in Thane and the other in Ratnagiri. The Kalyan sub-centre’s construction alone extended for around six years due to various administrative hurdles.
Students living in and around Kalyan have been waiting for the functioning of the sub-centre for a long time, as they have to travel to MU campuses in Kalina and south Mumbai for academic and admissions-related work. How- ever, even after the centre becomes functional, most of the student-related activities will still be undertaken at the city campuses, said the official.
However, the varsity may decentralise some activities at the sub-campus in Thane city, the district headquarter of Thane, the official said.
The university took the decision to set up a campus in Kalyan in 2007.
The sub-centre’s construction got delayed, as the land was reserved for a garden under KDMC’S development plan. The construction of the sub-centre began only after the state changed the land reservation to an educational institute.
HT had reported that the construction work was stalled during monsoon, due to unsuitable weather conditions. There was also shortage of labour and funds, a varsity official had said.