India, Sept. 11 -- The state government plans to allow private universities to run medical colleges, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directing the departments of medical education and higher and technical education to prepare a proposal to this effect.

At present, private universities in Maharashtra cannot grant medical degrees. This is the sole prerogative of the government-run Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) and deemed universities.

The move to bring private universities into this ambit is aimed at providing quality medical education within the state, thereby discouraging students from opting to study overseas.

At a high-power meeting attended by the vice-chancellors of all public universities in the state, amo...