Each University shall be open to all persons, who or whose parents have resided in the State of Maharashtra for not less than three years, during the period of ten years immediately preceding the date on which admission is sought, and no person shall be excluded from admission to any degree, diploma, certificate or other academic distinction or course of study on the ground only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth or political or other opinion :
Provided that, the University may, subject to the previous sanction of the State Government, reserve certain seats for purposes of admission as students in any college or institution maintained or controlled by the University for the following classes of persons, namely :-
(i) the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes;
(ii) the Other Backward Classes;
(iii) agriculturists, and those children of agriculturists who possess the prescribed minimum qualifications or experience in agriculture;
(iv) persons who and whose parents have not resided in the State at least for three years during the period of ten years immediately preceding the date on which admission is sought;
(v) children of freedom fighters;
(vi) displaced persons as defined in the Maharashtra Resettlement of Project Displaced Persons Act, 1976 (Mah. XLI of 1976), and their children;
[(vii) children of defence personnel;
(viii) students passing qualifying examination from the school or institution situated within a University area :]
Provided further that, the University may, subject to like sanction, also grant to persons falling under all or any of the categories (i), (ii), (iii), (v) and (vi) in the last preceding proviso, exemptions from payment of such fees or boarding, lodging or other charges, or from all fees and charges, or provide for such special scholarships, as it may deem fit :
[Provided also that, nothingic956 in this section shall require the University to admit to any course of study any person who does not meet the prescribed academic standards for admission to such course or to retain on the rolls of the University persons whose academic records are below the minimum standards required for the award of a degree or whose personal conduct is such as to be prejudicial to the purposes of the University or to the rights and privileges of other students and academic staff members :
Provided also that, nothing in this section shall require the University to admit to any course of study, students larger in number than, or with academic or other qualifications lower than, those prescribed.
Explanation. For the purposes of this section, "agriculturist" means a person who as an owner or tenant holds agricultural land, and whose main income is derived from personal cultivation of land, and includes any person whose principal means of livelihood is manual labour on agricultural land.