Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has established the Maharashtra State Academic and Research Council (MahaSARC), which will serve as “the apex academic and advisory body to drive educational reforms and research across state universities”.
According to the Higher and Technical Education Department, the council is expected to play a pivotal role in aligning the state's higher education framework with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Chaired by a Vice-Chancellor nominated from among the top five NAAC A-grade or NIRF-ranked state universities, the council will also include eminent educationists, directors of higher and technical education, and deans from varied academic disciplines. The Chief Executive Officer of MAHED will act as its Vice-Chairman and Convenor.
The move follows a report submitted by a coordination committee led by renowned scientist Dr Raghunath Mashelkar, recommending the creation of a centralised body to ensure uniform academic standards, credit mobility, and curriculum development across state public universities.
As per a recent government resolution (GR), MahaSARC is being established to “ensure effective implementation of provisions under the National Education Policy 2020 in the state”. The council will be responsible for driving key academic reforms, including the development of interdisciplinary curricula, online learning integration, and a unified credit transfer system.
“MahaSARC will serve as the state-level apex academic authority and an advisory body for the Maharashtra State Commission for Higher Education and Development (MAHED) and its Board of Management,” the GR states. It adds that the council “shall issue guidelines for academic policies and frameworks which will be binding on all State Public Universities and Autonomous Colleges in Maharashtra”.
MahaSARC’s mandate includes framing a Common Academic Calendar, promoting research and innovation, and encouraging university-industry collaboration. It will also lay down frameworks for credit equivalency, assessment methods, and programme outcomes to ensure consistency across institutions.
The resolution further highlights MahaSARC’s role in creating “a vibrant research and innovation culture” and “promoting cooperation, coordination and synergy amongst the State Universities”. To this end, the council is authorised to form subject-specific sub-groups and task forces, and co-opt experts from various fields and national institutions.
A senior official from the Higher and Technical Education Department said, “This is not just an administrative reform; it is a strategic overhaul of the academic governance system in the state in line with NEP. MahaSARC is designed to facilitate mobility, innovation, and quality in higher education, while also responding to national academic benchmarks.”
As per the GR, the council will hold monthly meetings and maintain an online portal for documentation and monitoring. Action taken reports will be submitted bi-annually to the MAHED Board of Management and the Joint Board of Vice-Chancellors, chaired by the Governor of Maharashtra.
“With MahaSARC in place, we are building the academic infrastructure necessary to deliver on the promises of NEP—greater flexibility for students, better curriculum design, and stronger links between academia and industry,” the official added.
