Despite it being a backward district constantly under the shadow of naxal activities, the Maharashtra government has sanctioned 38 new colleges for Gadchiroli in the present academic year to boost the education here.

The increased strength of colleges would certainly benefit the students of this backward district and will prove useful in catering to their academic needs, said Dr Vijay Ainchwar, the Vice Chancellor of Gondwana University, under whose jurisdiction these colleges fall.

Emphasis is being given to quality education in these colleges and there would be no compromise on that, the VC said adding that with the government's move, the number of colleges in the university has risen to 215 and all have started functioning from the current academic session.

The one-year-old Gondwana university aims to come up as one of the best in the country and necessary steps have already been taken in that direction, he said.

New courses based on natural resources and tribal culture are also being drafted and will be introduced in the colleges shortly, he mentioned.

The varsity recently conducted an online entrance examination for Ph.D courses and got a tremendous response from students, he added.