Five foreign varsities to open campus in Navi Mumbai: Fadnavis

Five foreign universities have expressed interest in establishing campuses in Navi Mumbai Maharashtra Chief Minister CM Devendra Fadnavis said on TuesdayAmong these institutions are three from the United States which rank among the top 50 in the world as well as one each from Australia and the United Kingdom UK reported news agency PTI Fadnavis made the announcement while speaking at a USIndia Business Council USIBC eventThe state has yet to formalise a memorandum of understanding with the universities as such agreements can only be initiated following approval from the University Grants Commission UGC PTI reported Currently the government is actively pursuing discussions with UGC over this and the varsities are expected to be part of an education city planned within an urban settlement across the harbour referred to as the Third MumbaiCM Fadnavis explained that Maharashtra is developing dedicated zones with shared infrastructure in this new city focusing on specific activities such as education innovation data centres medical facilities and sports The new city will be three times larger than Mumbai and will be well connected via a 21kilometre sea link and will also feature an airport he said Furthermore the World Gold Council has approached the state to establish a hub in the new city Fadnavis saidHe also informed that the Navi Mumbai airport is set to become operational by MayMeanwhile the state is also transforming Sambhaji Nagar into a hub for electric vehicles and developing Gadchiroli into a steel hub with the highest capacity to promote broadbased development CM Fadnavis saidReady to teach opposition how it should function in assembly CM Devendra FadnavisMaharashtra Chief Minister CM Devendra Fadnavis stated on Tuesday that he is prepared to instruct the opposition on how it should operate within the legislative assembly He remarked that the oppositions efforts to create discord among the ruling Mahayuti alliance mdash comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party NCP would not be successfulThe opposition needs to embrace its role he said The lsquolast week motionrsquo presents an opportunity to discuss important issues that could not be elaborated upon earlier in the session Fadnavis added I am ready to volunteer to train the opposition in how to function as an opposition party in response to the debate initiated by the opposition regarding the last week motionFadnavis was the leader of the opposition in the assembly from 2019 to 2022 as well as a prominent opposition figure from 2004 to 2014Regarding last weeks violence in his hometown CM Fadnavis informed that 107 individuals have been arrested in connection with the Nagpur violenceOn the lawandorder situation the CM who heads the home department said around 10000 undertrials were released to avoid congestion in prisons during the coronavirus pandemic In Pune alone 269 undertrial prisoners were released of which 72 never returned to jails he informedThese people are accused in many crimes and some have become members of local gangs Fadnavis addedFrom 2022 to 2024 as many as 600 people were booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act he said underlining his governments stern attitude to crimeHe also highlighted that the conviction rate in the state between 2009 and 2014 was nine per cent while now it is at 50 per cent He also believed that the conviction rate is likely to rise thanks to the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which replaced the Indian Penal CodeWith PTI inputs