MU V-C to head state’s first cluster varsity

MUMBAI: Suhas Pednekar, vicechancellor (V-C) of the University of Mumbai (MU), will also serve as the first V-C of Dr Homi Bhabha State University (HBSU) — the first cluster university in the state. The new varsity comprises four government-run institutes in south Mumbai.

In an order issued on Friday, the state gave Pednekar the additional charge until it hires a full-time V-C for the cluster varsity.

The cluster university includes Institute of Science (IS), which serves as the lead institute, Elphinstone College, Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics and Secondary Training (ST) College, all located in Fort and Churchgate areas.

The university, which will begin from the upcoming academic year (2019-20), is yet to appoint office-bearers and governing bodies such as the senate, management and academic councils.

The cluster varsity will begin an admission process, which will be independent of MU, after the results of the higher secondary certificate (HSC) examination.the varsity will have 5,500 seats for BSC, Bcom, BA, Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), Bcom Banking and Insurance (BBI), MSC and PHD courses.

Vasant Helawi, director of the Institute of Science, said although the admission process for HBSU has been chalked out, it is yet to finalise an admission system for Sydenham and Elphinstone colleges.

The admissions to ST College will be carried through a centralised admission process by the Maharashtra common entrance test (MH-CET) cell.

“We are yet to decide whether admissions to the other two colleges will be done at the HBSU’S headquarters or at the respective institutes. The final decision will be taken later,” he added.

HBSU is one of the two cluster universities — comprising a small number of colleges in the same area — carved out of MU under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shikshan Abhiyan (RUSA), a funding agency under the central government.