Background: Community engagement has emerged as one of the future directions of higher education extension. Community engagement helps to build the community, as well as the social and economic foundations that support equity and diversity in higher education and offers opportunities for people to participate in a democratic way. Community engagement encompasses a range of approaches, including consultation, co-operation, and participation. It is imperative to understand that it requires community support for effective implementation. Why should one be involved in community engagement? To effectively meet the diverse needs of the community; to help people develop a sense of ownership and accountability in terms of giving back to society; to take pride in service to the community; to take on the challenge of solving community issues collectively; to access funding to conduct initiatives for the community; and to make the work happen in reality in a practical way.

Purpose: Through this research, the researcher addresses the innovative and best practices of community engagement in universities in India, with a special focus on universities in Maharashtra, and compares these policies and practices (innovative and best) among state, private, and deemed-to-be universities.

Method: A comparative method was used by the researcher. The sample of the study consisted of 9 states, private, and deemed-to-be universities selected by the researcher, and under these universities, community engagement practices of 5 departments were studied for the identification and comparison of best and innovative policies and practices of community engagement.

Result & Conclusion: Through this research study, the researcher concluded that the majority of universities do not have a formal policy for community engagement, but programmes/activities are organized through the National Service Scheme (NSS) and Student Welfare Department (SWD) extension programmes. Also, there is no formal course/unit/module on community engagement. The researcher also concluded that, as there is no set policy with regard to community engagement, there is no mission or vision for incorporating community engagement into postgraduate courses.