Maharashtra Prison Department Renews MoU with Open University for Inmate Education

The Maharashtra prison department has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yashwantrao Chavan Open University to provide educational opportunities to inmates. Since the first agreement in 2017, 2,406 inmates have obtained degrees. The renewed MoU was signed on Teachers' Day, offering courses and the opportunity for sentence remission upon completion.

The Maharashtra prison department has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yashwantrao Chavan Open University to impart education to inmates as part of reform measures, an official said on Thursday.

The MoU, initially signed in 2017, has enabled 2,199 male and 207 female inmates to obtain degrees from the university, the official revealed.

The renewed agreement, signed on Teachers' Day, aims to help inmates complete their education and discourage them from reoffending. Inmates who complete their degrees can receive a 90-day remission. A prison department statement noted that 214 convicts have benefited so far, some even obtaining a second remission after completing postgraduate degrees.

Courses offered under the MoU range from BA, B.Com, MA, and M.Com to certificate courses in subjects such as Human Rights, Health Friend, Yoga Teacher, and Gandhi Thoughts, as well as vocational training in areas like beauty parlour management, water management, digital photography, and video production.

(With inputs from agencies.)