During its Budget Senate meeting held on Saturday, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) presented a deficit budget of approximately Rs 83 crore for the financial year 2026-27.The budget was tabled by Dr Nitin Ghorpade, a member of the Management Council, in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Dr Suresh Gosavi, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr Parag Kalkar, and Acting Registrar Charushila Gayake. Following deliberations, the Senate approved the budget with amendments suggested by its members.The University’s total projected revenue for the year stands at Rs 619 crore, while total projected expenditure is Rs 702 crore, comprising Rs 624 crore toward general expenses and Rs 78 crore drawn from University funds for welfare schemes and specific heads. This marks the second consecutive year that SPPU has presented a deficit budget; the previous year’s shortfall stood at Rs 82 crore.Gayake pointed out that this year marks a first for the institution in terms of approach. “For the first time, a fund-based approach has been utilised in this budget. Accordingly, a deficit budget amounting to approximately Rs 83 crore has been presented,” she said.Completion of pending worksPresenting the budget, Dr Ghorpade said that while the University’s modernisation and technological upgradation are ongoing, the focus this year has deliberately shifted away from launching new development projects. “The primary emphasis has been placed on completing previously commenced works,” he said, adding that efforts are being made to ensure regularity, efficiency, and adherence to strict timelines across all construction activities.Accordingly, a provision of Rs 49.55 crore has been earmarked for the construction of buildings within the University campus, and Rs 23 crore has been set aside for various other facilities and infrastructure improvements.Student scholarshipsOver Rs 10 crore has been provisioned toward student scholarship schemes. The allocations are as follows: Rs 2.30 crore each for the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Financial Assistance Schemes; Rs 2.25 crore for the Swami Vivekananda Financial Assistance Scheme; Rs 1.25 crore for the Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Financial Assistance Scheme; and Rs 1 crore each for the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Financial Assistance Schemes.Story continues below this adBeyond scholarships, the budget also provides for the Student Development Board (Rs 13.92 crore), Cultural Programmes and Other Schemes (Rs 1.60 crore), Samarth Bharat Abhiyan (Rs 50 lakh), Student Safety Insurance and Emergency Assistance (Rs 40 lakh), and International Students’ Insurance (Rs 8 lakh).New schemes introducedSeveral new initiatives have been proposed in this budget. The most significant allocation is Rs 10 crore for a CCTV Surveillance System across the campus, followed by Rs 2 crore for a Research Promotion Scheme. A provision of Rs 1.50 crore has been made for a University Department Ranking Framework. Information Technology Facilities have been allocated Rs 1 crore.Other new schemes include: International Guest Professors (Rs 50 lakh); the ‘Paris sparsh’ Scheme for College Guidance (Rs 50 lakh); National and International Seminars (Rs 92 lakh); Professor of Practice (Rs 52 lakh); Knowledge Repository of High-Quality Research Journals and Data Repository of Research Journals in Indian Languages (Rs 31.20 lakh each); Teaching Exchange Initiative with Expert Professors from Asian Countries (Rs 5 lakh); and an Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (Rs 12 lakh).Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:SPPU