Only one Degree college given approval in past 2 years

Maharashtra which is known as an educational hub, has given approval to just one college in the past 2 years, though it received 298 applications for approval in the same period, another 15.5% applications were issued LOI but not a single new college has come up in the past 2 years, this information was provided to RTI activist Anil Galgali RTI ACTIVIST ANIL GALGALI had filed an RTI query with the Higher and Technical Education dept of the Govt of Maharashtra seeking information about new colleges and additional new divisions in existing colleges. Shri Ranjit Ahire the Public Information officer and the Desk officer of the Higher and Technical Education dept informed Galgali that dept received 130 applications for new colleges in the year 2014-15. Out of the 130 applications received, only 1 was approved namely Jalgaon Vidyapeeth, out of the pending 129 applications 46 were issued LOI. Mr Ahire further informed that in the year 2015-16, applications for 168  new colleges were submitted to the govt, but the govt has taken a decision to not give permission to any new college hence all the applications have been reverted back to the respective University's. 16 applications for new colleges were received from Aurangabad, 11 from Buldhana, 9 each from Pune and Yavatmal, 8 from Nashik, 7 each from Chandrapur and Akola, 6 from Mumbai, 5 each from Hingoli, Solapur and Amravati, 4 each from Parbhani and Gadchiroli, 3 each from Nagpur, Latur, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Osmanabad, 2 each from Satara, Ahmed Nagar, Nanded, Dhule, Kolhapur, Thane, Beed and 1 each from Raigad, Vasai, Ratnagiri, Baramati and Sangli. Anil Galgali has expressed that the government's decision to not grant permission to any new college is not correct. He further stated that education business in Maharashtra has become a fiefdom of few privileged people and the decision of the Govt against permitting new colleges is in tune with continued control of the education field for the privileged few. By permitting new colleges the new avenues for education is opened up said Galgali