The Governor chaired the annual meeting of the vice-chancellors of non-agricultural universities in Maharashtra at the Raj Bhavan which discussed various suggestions received from the VCs regarding administrative and financial matters, reform of examination system, admission policies and amendments to the Maharashtra Universities Act '94.

Alexander underlined that it had become urgent in today's circumstances to grant autonomy to affiliated colleges which were well-equipped to manage their own affairs. The universities in the State are too large to exercise any meaningful supervision over the affiliated colleges and granting autonomy to good colleges is the only way for ensuring quality and standards in education, hesaid.

The Chancellor said a committee comprising of four VCs and two senior officials of the State Government would look into this matter, even visit Tamil Nadu where 40 per cent of the country's autonomous colleges are located and understand its functioning to replicate the model in Maharashtra.

Several vice-chancellors who spoke to mediapersons after the meeting said proposals from good colleges were in the pipeline for acquiring an autonomous status. This would mean that the colleges would have its own Board of Studies, faculty, Academic Council. The degree would however be given by the respective university.

Alexander also referred to the vast disparity in standards of education which exists among different colleges in the State. "While we have some affiliated colleges which can compare with the best anywhere in India, we also have several poorly staffed colleges where quality and standards are far below the required levels," he said.

The State Government officials also expressed apprehensionabout the implications of the Fifth Pay Commission where they would have bear the pay load, when the higher education budget has 65 per cent spending on salaries itself.

While there was divided opinion about exchange programmes with foreign universities, the members however were opposed to the entry of foreign universities in the country. The Chancellor also invited the attention of the VCs to the decline of the share of students of the state in admissions to the All India Services, IITs and Indian Institutes of Management.