Education SEZs could soon become a model again since Niti Aayog has proposed the concept that seeks to bring in development in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). It has recommended creating a new typology of ‘Edu-Cities’, extending over more than 100 hectares, containing and uniting several colleges and university.
The government’s policy advisory body, NITI Aayog, has suggested Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA), Third Mumbai, and Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) influence zone as micro location for these integrated EduCities. Finally, drawing from the fact that Mumbai has already been identified as one of the biggest commercial centers in India with a powerful and vibrant international linkage, the report reveals that MMR should ‘naturally evolve’ into the premier higher education city in India.
These proposed EduCities are expected to be home to excellent faculty and researchers, students’ accommodation and other amenities such as sports facilities. Another key component of the plan is blue-green infrastructure necessary for the improvement of urban environment based on the construction of both man-made and natural structures. Looking at Investors’ Interest as pointed out by Niti Aayog in their recent report, there is a lot of interest investors in this region for the MMR because it can offer cheap land and common infrastructure like hostels and clubhouses.
Educationists foresee a bright future for MMR as a centre of higher education. According to Niranjan Hiranandani, the Provost of HSNC University said in an interview with TOI that with the advancement that has addressed access and connectivity, and there should be “multiple centres”. Since Mumbai is the financial capital, there is the IT and data centre and since there is a growing industrial belt between Mumbai and Pune, education will not doubt receive a boost,” he said.
A large educational system also poses some risks and the ability of the system to foster job creation receive asspecial attention in the report. As of now MMR is not having much representation in terms of colleges in India’s top 10 districts. On the other hand, cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune have had unprecedented benefits for being known as the education city thus resulting to large job domains.
According to the World Economic Forum, it is expected that there will be about 20 million more demand in digital workforce internationally by 2030 in the areas that include information security, content, system administrators and telecommunication.
It further said that EduCities should have top-notch faculty, researchers, student housing and sports recreation, retail and blue-green infrastructure because it is a mix of man-built project and natural facilities in urban centres.
As the World Economic Forum expects creation of almost two crore digital jobs worldwide by 2030 while Niti Aayog aspires that the MMR should be able to train at least one to one and half lakh persons by 2030, it seems to be a daunting task for MMR. The targeted courses include Electronics assembling, computer related courses, graphic animation, fashion technology, Logistics and materials management, childcare and elder care, health services and nursing, aviation technology and Hospitality services. The strategy is elaborated in the report further, extending the goal of the inclusion of women to at least 40 % representation of women in all activities.
Currently, Shiva Education Trust run nearly 50 colleges and the trustee of the Trust, Dr Balasaheb Pawar said to TOI that the proposed new mega education cities must emphasize on high professional courses. In the same respect, many experts concur with this opinion, especially bearing in mind that Navi Mumbai is already home to a reasonable number of conventional terminal bachelor’s degree programmes. These will be new EduCities which will help in putting into practice the National Education Policy those students who, within the large campus environment, can select from a whole array of courses.
References:
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/niti-aayog-proposes-educities-in-mumbai-for-higher-education-growth/articleshow/113415936.cms?from=mdr
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/niti-pushes-for-educities-sees-third-mumbai-as-ideal-launchpad/articleshow/113408188.cms
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