Education in Maharashtra refers to the system of schooling, higher education, technical training, and research institutions in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The state has historically been a major centre of learning in India, with a network of universities, autonomous colleges, polytechnics, and research bodies. Pune, in particular, is often referred to as the "Oxford of the East" owing to its concentration of educational institutions.
Key facts
| State | Maharashtra |
|---|---|
| Administering department | School Education and Sports Department; Higher and Technical Education Department |
| State school board | Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), headquartered in Pune |
| Medium of instruction | Marathi, English, Hindi, Urdu, and other languages depending on the school |
| Languages taught | Marathi (compulsory in schools), Hindi, English, Sanskrit, and others |
| Major university towns | Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nashik |
Administration
School and higher education in Maharashtra is administered through two principal state departments: the School Education and Sports Department, which oversees primary and secondary schooling, and the Higher and Technical Education Department, which oversees universities, professional colleges, and polytechnics. The Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (MSCERT) develops curriculum and pedagogy for schools, while Balbharati (the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research) prepares and publishes textbooks.
School education
School education in Maharashtra follows the 10+2 pattern. Schools are affiliated to one of several boards:
- Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), which conducts the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination at the end of Class 10 and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination at the end of Class 12. The board operates through divisional boards in Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Amravati, Nashik, Latur, and Konkan.
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), which affiliate a substantial number of private schools across urban centres.
- International boards such as the IB and Cambridge International, present mainly in Mumbai and Pune.
Marathi is a compulsory subject in schools across the state under state policy. Government, aided, and unaided schools coexist, with a large network of Zilla Parishad schools providing primary education in rural areas.
Higher education
Maharashtra hosts a large number of state, private, and central universities, along with deemed-to-be-universities and institutes of national importance.
State public universities
- University of Mumbai (founded 1857), one of the three oldest modern universities in India.
- Savitribai Phule Pune University (founded 1949), formerly the University of Poona.
- Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (founded 1923).
- Shivaji University, Kolhapur (founded 1962).
- Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad.
- SNDT Women's University, the first women's university in India, founded by Dhondo Keshav Karve in 1916.
- Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University (Nanded), Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University (Jalgaon), Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (Nashik), and Gondwana University (Gadchiroli).
Institutes of national importance and central institutions
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), Powai.
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai.
- Homi Bhabha National Institute and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Training School, Mumbai.
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.
- National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune.
- Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.
- Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur.
- Indian Institute of Management Nagpur.
- National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai.
Notable private and deemed universities
- Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune.
- Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune.
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune (founded 1821).
- Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune.
- D. Y. Patil University, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), and the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai.
Technical and professional education
Technical education in the state is regulated by the Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra. Admissions to engineering, pharmacy, architecture, and management programmes are conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell through the MHT-CET examination. Maharashtra has one of the largest networks of engineering colleges, polytechnics, and pharmacy institutions in India, including College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Mumbai, and the Government College of Engineering, Aurangabad.
Medical education is regulated through the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik, which affiliates medical, dental, ayurveda, homoeopathy, and nursing colleges across the state.
Agricultural and specialised universities
- Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri.
- Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola.
- Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani.
- Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli.
- Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Nagpur.
- Maharashtra National Law University, with campuses at Mumbai, Nagpur, and Aurangabad.
Historical background
Modern education in Maharashtra has its roots in the 19th century, with the establishment of institutions in the Bombay Presidency. Elphinstone College (1856) and Wilson College (1832) in Bombay, and Deccan College in Pune, were among the earliest. The University of Bombay was incorporated in 1857. Social reformers played a defining role: Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule opened a school for girls in Pune in 1848, regarded as a milestone in women's education in India. Dhondo Keshav Karve founded SNDT Women's University in 1916. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar established the Deccan Education Society in 1884, which founded Fergusson College in Pune in 1885.
After independence, the state expanded higher education through new universities such as Pune (1949), Marathwada (1958, later renamed after B. R. Ambedkar), Shivaji (1962), and Nagpur, alongside agricultural and health sciences universities created in subsequent decades.
Language and curriculum
Curriculum in state-board schools is framed by Balbharati and MSCERT, broadly aligned with the National Curriculum Framework. Marathi is taught as a compulsory subject across boards in the state. Many schools teach a three-language formula combining Marathi, Hindi, and English. Urdu-medium, Gujarati-medium, Kannada-medium, and Telugu-medium schools also exist, reflecting the state's linguistic diversity.
Significance
Maharashtra's education system has been historically significant for the spread of modern education and social reform in India, particularly in the fields of women's education, mass literacy movements, and vernacular publishing. The state continues to be a major destination for higher studies in engineering, management, medicine, law, and the sciences, attracting students from across India.