State will allocate funds to university for research: CM

The state government will institute a fund that will match donations made by private corporations to public universities in Maharashtra.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said he would establish the fund to "catapult" private gifts to universities to boost research and set up special centres.

Chavan added, the higher and technical education department would draw up a detailed policy for the fund. The CM spent Thursday evening at the and inaugurated a chair for banking and finance sponsored by the Indian Merchants' Chamber. As an immediate initiation, Chavan said the state would also pitch in equally. "As a state, we are unable to support research and innovation as much as we would like to. Returning funds to the society is a concept that has been lacking in India. I was shocked to read that two Indian business houses donated money to universities abroad," said Chavan. Lamenting that no Indian university was among the top global learning centres, Chavan said,  would have to "inject" quality in its educational infrastructure. "For that we will have to carry out research and innovate. The state will do its part, but corporations should pitch in."