Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a move aimed at speeding up the establishment of private universities in the State, Governor Ashok Gajapathi Raju has given his assent to an amendment to the Goa Private Universities Act, 2020.
The amendment permits private universities to operate transitional off-campus centres until their main campuses are ready.
The legislation, passed during the Assembly’s monsoon session, specifies that universities may set up such centres provided they comply with the norms of the relevant regulatory authority.
These centres can function only until the main campus becomes operational or until the maximum period stipulated by law expires, whichever is earlier.
The Goa Private Universities Act, 2020, effective since April 1, 2020, paved the way for private universities in the State. So far, five institutions have secured the government’s consent to establish campuses.
Earlier this year, during the Budget session, the Act was amended to ensure that land allotted to universities remains dedicated exclusively to educational and research purposes.
Under the law, a private university must have a minimum of 50,000 square metres of land, either owned or leased for at least 30 years.
