Nagpur: After announcing 100% fee waiver for girl students belonging to the Other Backward Class (OBC) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) categories in higher education in February this year, the Higher and Technical Education Department of Maharashtra Government has issued a Government Resolution (GR) for the scheme to be rolled out this academic year 2024-25.
The Government is floating this scheme to promote the enrolment of girls in higher education. The academic fee waiver is for girls from families having income not more than Rs 8 lakh or less. Under this programme, the State will bear the entire tuition and examination fees of the women. Presently, girl students are being given 50% waiver. As per the study by Higher and Technical Education Department, the share of girl students in professional education is 36%.
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Sat 21 Dec. 2024
As per the New Education Policy (NEP), the Government felt that girl students should not be deprived of education. Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil had said that universities should strive towards ensuring that more girls are taking admission to higher education courses across various fields. The scheme is applicable to all Government-run colleges, Government-aided private colleges, partly aided colleges, permanent unaided colleges, polytechnics, public universities, Government Deemed to be universities, (private deemed to be universities, self-financed universities to be excluded).
The girl students can get admissions to the recognised professional courses run in the sub-centre of public university. The scheme is applicable for the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) conducted by the Government’s Competent Authority (excluding seats of management quota and institute-level). The educational aid, which will cost the state Rs 2,000 crore annually, was among the various welfare programmes for women announced by State Finance Minister Ajit Pawar.
The programme will include professional courses such as medicine, engineering, management, pharmacy, law etc. While welcoming the announcement, colleges apprehended that the Government should follow the reimbursement process. There are a lot of issues as far as fee reimbursement of SC, ST, OBC, NT in higher education courses are concerned. An amount over Rs 2,000 crore is pending with the Government to be given to colleges in the State.
In addition, the government has also approved amendments for EWS students, allowing those admitted under EWS reservations to benefit from the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Scholarship Scheme based on a consolidated income certificate of both parents instead of an EWS certificate. Furthermore, once granted, the fee waiver will continue for the entire duration of the course without requiring annual renewal of the income certificate.
Political observers and opposition leaders feel the government is trying to woo women voters through such schemes, which includes the recently announced ‘Laadki Bahin Yojna’, giving women DBT of Rs 1,500 per month.
