Mumbai gets...

While students already enrolled at these institutes will continue to remain a part of the older system, the new entrants will receive degrees from the new private varsity.

At least 14 private universities, most of them in Pune, have come up in Maharashtra after the government enacted the Maharashtra Self-financed Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act in 2013. On Wednesday, the Cabinet approved one more selffinanced universities — DY Patil University in Ambi-talegaon. Until now, Amity University in Panvel was the only private university in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Somaiya Vidyavihar University will focus on offering interdisciplinary courses in engineering, management, liberal arts and languages, now that is a private university, the official quoted earlier said. “There are changes happening in the world of education, including a more interdisciplinary and application-based approach to teaching and learning. We want to open up to that kind of scenario,” the official said.

The inclusion of post-graduation institutes, such as KJ Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskriti Peetham, KJ Somaiya Centre for Buddhist Studies and KJ Somaiya Centre for Jainism Studies, in the same campus, will diversify offerings, the official added.

By approving the Somaiya Vidyavihar University, the state has, for the first time, brought institutes receiving its grants under a self-financed system. The government will no longer provide grants to these institutes unless the management decides to keep government-aided sections out of the private university’s purview.

“No financial aid is given to self-financed universities. However, we have asked the management for an undertaking that it will continue the same benefits and perks given to those appointed in aided positions,” said an official from the state government.

The first institute official quoted earlier said despite the shift to a private university, there may not be a fee hike. “I don’t think there will be a fee hike. We are justified in what we ask from the students, as we spend whatever we earn. We are not an institution that wants to make money.” after Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress did not win any seat in Tamil Nadu. The DMK and its allies also drew a blank. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said he was confident of the Dmk-led alliance sweeping the Lok Sabha elections in the state. “The alliance will make a clean sweep bringing in change of government at the Centre.”

When asked about parties such as the IUML, VCK, Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Left, Stalin said: “Those parties who have stood by us in the last two years are our allies.”

Out of the 235 members in the Tamil Nadu assembly, the AIADMK has 115 legislators followed by the DMK’S 88, Congress’s eight, the IUML’S one and one independent. The numbers are made up by the Speaker and 21 vacant seats (18 of these on account of disqualification).

Stalin said seat-sharing discussions for 21 assembly bypolls in the state have not happened so far. “Let the bypoll date for the 21 assembly seats be announced. We will cross the bridge when we come to it,” the DMK chief said. AIADMK minister M Manikandan said the Dmk-congress combine will not be a formidable force. “The AIADMK-BJP-PMK tie-up is the winning alliance… Two Leaves and Lotus are natural allies. When the Dmk-congress combine was in the power, Tamil Nadu did not benefit,” Manikandan said.

Tamil Nadu BJP general secretary Karuppu Muruganandham, too, said the Dmk-congress alliance did not present a challenge to the party. “We have formed a grand alliance in Tamil Nadu. The people of TN have understood that the BJP is the only party that is committed to the development of the state.”

Political analyst K Elangovan said the Dmk-congress alliance stands a good chance. “The Dmkcongress alliance is a mature and stable alliance. Since the anti-incumbency feeling against the state and central government is high in Tamil Nadu, the Dmkcongress combine has a good chance to win seats. However, both the BJP and AIADMK are the ruling parties at the Centre and the state respectively, which gives them some advantage.” ments worth $20 billion, building on financial aid it has provided to the economically crippled government.

They expressed satisfaction at the first joint venture west coast refinery and petrochemical project estimated to cost $44 billion and agreed to expedite the implementation of the project, which is expected to be the world’s largest greenfield refinery. Though the refinery was earlier to be set up at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Indian authorities are now looking for an alternative location due to opposition to land acquisition efforts.

Modi also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s planned investment in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). A MOU on investing in the NIIF was among five agreements signed on Wednesday.

India also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s participation in its Strategic Petroleum Reserves and the decision to join the International Solar Alliance. At India’s request, Saudi Arabia increased the quota for Haj pilgrims from 175,000 to 200,000.

The Indian government agreed to increase the seats of Saudi Arabian airlines from 80,000 seats a months to 112,000 seats a month, while Saudi Arabia ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners from its jails.