Maharashtra: University services under right to service Act only on paper

Students and alumni of various state-run universities may have to wait for a couple of months more to avail the time-bound delivery of university documents like duplicate degrees, marksheet, migration and eligibility certificates under Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act 2015 (RTS Act). Reason: The alma maters are not yet ready to deliver those services.

Interestingly, the higher and technical education department of Maharashtra has notified the university services under the RTS Act in the gazette on January 18 that stipulates the time limit to issue each document. List of designated officers, first appellate and second appellate authorities at each of 14 public Universities has also been notified.

However, the move is stuck as universities have apparently raised the red-flag citing four major constraints — infrastructure, inadequate power supply, poor internet speed and inadequate staff. Some universities have also sought financial support to execute the plan making government puzzled.

"To end the deadlock, a meeting of all vice-chancellors is being convened very soon," said a highly-placed official in the department. The move is aimed to force universities to provide most crucial services to students like retotalling, issuing of migration and eligibility certificate, duplicate marksheet and degree certificate and document verification in a time-bound manner, within 30-45 days.

The rules not only cover universities and affiliated colleges, but also Maharashtra state board of technical education (MSBTE) which covers polytechnics. As per the gazette notification, universities and MSBTE will have to do re-totalling of marks, issuance of duplicate marksheets and degree certificates within 15 days.

Eligibility and migration certificates, score cards of CET (Professional courses) will have to be given within 30 days. Universities will also have to verify documents of students within a month. Document verification is required by students who take up admission in foreign universities or a job abroad and also by employers globally.

Assistant registrar level officials in the universities and system analyst ones in MSBTE have been tasked to deliver the services. If the said services will not be delivered within the stipulated time frame, the candidates can go to first appellate officer. A 30-day period is given for the first appellate officer (Deputy Secretary in MSBTE and Deputy Registrar in Universities) to do the needful.

Failing which candidates can appeal to second appellate officer who would be controller of examination (in case of Universities) and Secretary (in case of MSBTE) who has to provide the services within a month.

Media reports often highlight the truama of students who sometime lose their further education and job opportunities because of too much delay. However, situation at universities like Mumbai and Nagpur has worsened gradually over the years. Rising number of students and skewed staff strength and lack of adequate technology at exam houses are supposed to be major reasons.

The government has already identified over 250 services from 12 state government departments under this Act in the first phase. Most of them have been launched as well. Among the services that have been made available include documents like birth and caste certificates, domicile certificates, ration cards, licenses for small business establishments, etc.

Those applying for a service are supposed to get an acknowledgement in writing or through electronic means or SMS, specifying date, time, place, unique complaint number, particulars of receiver of complaint along with stipulated disposal time frame.