Education in Maharashtra
Ernst & Young, a professional services firm in their report on education titled ‘Building Blocks – Infrastructure in Education – Edge 2010 Report’ revealed that the state of Maharashtra has proven to be best in higher education. According to the report, the state had highest number of students (15 lakh) pursuing higher education during 2005-06 followed by Uttar Pradesh with 14 lakh students, Andhra (9 lakh) and Tamil Nadu (8 lakh).Maharashtra is home to highest number of institutions rated high in the country. The state has the maximum number of universities i.e. 11.3 percent and five of them are rated best in the country, namely Mumbai University, Pune University, SNDT Women’s University, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research in Goregoan, and Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economy, Pune.
Also the state has prestigious institutes like Sophia College, MD Shah Mahila College, Symbiosis, Birla College of Arts and Science that are among 63 institutions rated A+ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (Naac). Though Maharashtra is major hub of business, the state is also known for educational excellence. There are several universities in Maharashtra, which provide quality education to the people of the state. There are also numbers of educational and research institutions of world repute in this Maharashtra state. Maharashtra is the third largest state In India, with Mumbai (Bombay) as the capital of Maharashtra state government.
Good Universities set the basis of a healthy society by contributing space for higher education and research. The Universities in Maharashtra are helping the students to do quality higher education as it gives a peaceful academic environment.
As students from different parts of the country and also from abroad come to study in the Universities of Maharashtra, students and scholars widen a better understanding of the variety of the country. The multi cultural zeal along with the qualified professors of the Maharashtra universities is not only creating quality research paper but informed citizens and thus helping the country to develop. Maharashtra has good human resource development infrastructure in terms of educational institutions—301 engineering/diploma colleges, 616 industrial training institutes and more than 24 universities[29] with a turnout of 160,000 technocrats every year.[30]It is home to institutions like Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) which developed India's supercomputer, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Sardar Patel College of Engineering, University Department of Chemical Technology, College of Engineering Pune (COEP), Fergusson College, Pune,Government College of Engineering Aurangabad, Government College of Engineering Karad, Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli(WCES), Shri Guru Gobind Singhji Institute of Engineering and Technology Nanded (SGGSIE&T) and top management institutions.[30] 50,000 youth trained to take up self-employment ventures every year by the Maharashtra Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (MCED), Aurangabad.Mumbai is home to Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), National Institute of Industrial Engineering(NITIE), Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies(JBIMS), S P Jain Institute of Management and Research, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research (SIMSR) and several other management schools.[36] Government Law College and Sydenham College, respectively the oldest law and commerce colleges in India, are based in Mumbai.[37][38] The Sir J. J. School of Art is Mumbai's oldest art institution.[39] College of Engineering Pune, established in 1854 is the third oldest college in Asia.Mumbai is home to two prominent research institutions: the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).[40] The BARC operates CIRUS, a 40 MW nuclear research reactor at their facility inTrombay.[41]The University of Pune, the National Defence Academy, Film and Television Institute of India, National Film Archives, Armed Forces Medical College and National Chemical Laboratory were established in Pune after the independence of India.ILS Law College, established by the Indian Law Society is one of the top ten law schools in India. Established medical schools such as theArmed Forces Medical College and Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College train students from all over Maharashtra and India and are amongst the top medical colleges in India. Military Nursing College (affiliated to the AFMC) ranks among the top nursing colleges in the world.[42]
The University of Nagpur, established in 1923, one of the oldest universities in India, manages more than 24 engineering colleges, 43 science colleges and many colleges in the Arts and Commerce faculties. Nagpur is the home for Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) (also referred to as NIT, Nagpur, formerly known as Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering (VRCE), Nagpur) is one of the first sixRegional Engineering Colleges established under the scheme sponsored by Government of India and the Maharashtra State Government and is one of the Institutes of National Importance.
The geographical center of India lies at Nagpur, known as Zero Mile Stone. Nagpur is the headquarter for Hindu nationalist organisationRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and an important location for the Dalit Buddhist movement. Nagpur is also the home for National Fire Institution, Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti (promotion of and for spreading the national language, Hindi) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC-Western zone).
Maharashtra in total, has 50% India's Internet users and 45% of PC penetration in the country