Symbiosis Skills and Open University Act, 2017
No: 37 Dated: May, 03 2017
Symbiosis Skills and Open University Act, 2017
ACT No. XXXVII of 2017
An Act to provide for establishment, incorporation and regulation of Symbiosis Skills and Open University for the development and advancement of higher education, skill development, vocational education in the State and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the establishment incorporation and regulation of Symbiosis Skills and Open University for the development and advancement of higher education, skill development, vocational education in the State and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, for the purposes hereinafter appearing ;
It is hereby enacted in the Sixty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows :—
1. Short title and commencement:- (1) This Act may be called the Symbiosis Skills and Open University Act, 2017.
(2) It shall come into force on such date, as the state Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint
2. Definitions:- In this Act unless the context otherwise requires,—
(i) “adjunct professor”, “adjunct associate professor” or “adjunct assistant professor” means a person from industry, trade, agriculture, commerce, social, cultural, academic or any other allied field who is so designated during the period of collaboration or association with the university;
(ii) “authorities” means the authorities of the university as specified by or under this Act;
(iii) “Board of Management” means the Board of Management constituted under section 22 of this Act;
(iv) “campus” means the area of University within which it is established;
(v) “center of excellence” means the state-of the art training or research center established in collaboration with industry or for the benefit of the industry and society, to provide all types of relevant skills to students, in-service employees, working professionals and to undertake joint projects;
(vi) “community college” means an institution providing skill based academic programs as prescribed in the statutes;
(vii) “constituent institute” means a college or department or school or center or institute established by the sponsoring body which comes under the ambit of the University;
(viii) “employee” means any person appointed by the sponsoring body or University and includes teachers, officers and other staff of the University;
(ix) “fee” means monetary collection made by the University or its colleges, institutions, skill centers or study centers, as the case may be, from the students by whatever name it may be called, which is not refundable;
(x) “Government” or “State Government” means the Government of Maharashtra;
(xi) “Governing Body” means the Governing Body constituted under section 21 of this Act;
(xii) “higher education” means pursuit of knowledge beyond learning at the stage of higher secondary school education;
(xiii) “hostel” means a place of residence for the students or scholars of the University, or its institutions, colleges, skill centers, centers of excellence and study centers, established or recognized to be as such by the University;
(xiv) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(xv) “Official Gazette” means the Maharashtra Government Gazette;
(xvi) “open and distance education” means education imparted by combination of any two or more means of communication, viz. broadcasting, telecasting, Information Communication Technology, correspondence courses, online seminars, contact programmes and any other such methodology;
(xvii) “prescribed” means prescribed by statutes or ordinances or regulations, as the case may be, made by or under this Act;
(xviii) “President or Chancellor” means the Chancellor of the University.
(xix) “regulating body” means a body established by the Central Government for laying down norms and conditions for ensuring academic standards of higher education, such as University Grants Commission, All India Council of Technical Education, National Council of Teacher Education, Medical Council of India, Pharmacy Council of India, National Council of Assessment and Accreditation, Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Distance Education Council, Council of Scientific and Indian Research etc. and includes the Government;
(xx) “rules” means the rules made by the State Government;
(xxi) “section” means a section of this Act;
(xxii) “sponsoring body” means the Symbiosis Open Education Society; a Society registered under Societies Registration Act and a Public Trust under Maharashtra Public Trust Act;
(xxiii) “State” means State of Maharashtra.
(xxiv) “statutes”, “ordinances” and “regulations” mean respectively, the statutes, ordinances and regulations of the University made under this Act;
(xxv) “student” means a person enrolled in the University for taking a course of study for a degree, diploma or other academic distinction instituted by the University, including a research degree;
(xxvi) “study center” means a center established and maintained or recognized by the University for the purpose of advising, counseling or for rendering any other assistance required by the students in the context of open and distance education;
(xxvii) “skill center or satellite center” means a training center established by the university to provide vocational and skill training for the benefit of the industry, students, local population and all stakeholders ;
(xxviii) “Teacher” means a Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Adjunct Professor, Industry experts or resources persons or any other person required to impart education, skills, practical training, guide research or render guidance in any form to the students for pursuing a course of study of the University;
(xxix) “University” means the Symbiosis Skills and Open University, Pune.