Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa Legislative Assembly’s Select Committee examining the Goa Public Universities Bill 2025 has decided to engage with the State’s higher education stakeholders—including Goa University (GU), as well as government and private colleges—before finalising its report on the proposed law that seeks to establish clusters of public universities.
The panel, chaired by Minister Subhash Shirodkar, held its first meeting on Wednesday and resolved to hold a consultative session with educational institutions on November 19 to gather feedback on the likely academic and administrative implications of the Bill.
“The committee members felt it is important to take inputs from Goa University, college managements, and principals to understand how this proposal might impact the existing university system,” Shirodkar said after the meeting. “Only through open dialogue can we assess the practical challenges and benefits of creating multiple public universities.”
Introduced during the Monsoon Assembly Session in August, the Bill proposes the creation of a cluster of State-run universities to expand higher education infrastructure in Goa, with an initial provision of ₹25 crore. However, opposition legislators had raised strong objections, warning that the move could weaken Goa University and destabilize affiliated colleges.
Acknowledging these concerns, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had agreed to refer the Bill to an 11-member Select Committee for detailed scrutiny.
Committee member and Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai reiterated his apprehension, saying the proposal could have “serious long-term implications for Goa’s academic ecosystem.” He urged that all decisions be made only after consulting the education community.
Established in 1985, Goa University remains the State’s sole public university. Meanwhile, under the Goa Private Universities Act, five private universities have already received approval to set up campuses in the State — a development that has already begun reshaping Goa’s higher education landscape.
Besides Shirodkar and Sardesai, the committee includes MLAs Aleixo Sequeira, Deviya Rane, Krishna Salkar, Nilesh Cabral, Chandrakant Shetye, Reginaldo Lourenco, Carlos Ferreira, Cruz Silva, and Viresh Borkar.
