Under pressure to reconsider its external enrolment policy, the University of Pune (UoP) announced on Tuesday that it has made provisions in its perspective plan for the setting up of five new night colleges in the university area of Nashik, Ahmednagar and Pune district. “We have started receiving applications from interested academic organizations who want to set up such night colleges,” UoP’s director of board of colleges and university development V B Gaikwad told reporters. University vice-chancellor Wasudeo Gade said, “These night colleges will start with arts and commerce degree courses at the undergraduate level and progress to postgraduate courses.” Of the 11 departments at the UoP, the faculty of arts and the faculty of commerce are the only two that have the external enrolment provision at UG and PG levels. As of now, the UoP has a total of seven night colleges including four in Pune and the remaining three are in Ahmednagar and Nashik districts. Management council member Nandkumar Nikam said, “Our aim is to promote the new night colleges in areas close to industrial belts and in rural parts where there are a sizeable number of people who would like to pursue their studies while simultaneously doing their job during the day.” Source: Education News