100 per cent fee waiver for EWS girls: Chandrakant Patil
In a move aimed at empowering female students from economically weaker sections, Maharashtra's higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil has issued strict directives to ensure 100 per cent tuition and examination fee concession is effectively implemented in all government, aided, partially aided, and permanently unaided colleges and polytechnic institutes, as well as in public and government-affiliated universities across the state.
During a meeting held on Thursday, Patil said all educational institutions must take serious note of these directives.
Patil made it clear that no fees should be collected at the time of admission from eligible female students enrolled in professional courses through the Centralized Admission Process (CAP). Referring to past lapses, Patil warned institutions that if any fees were collected during the previous academic year, they must be refunded immediately.
'The tuition fee scholarship amount under the scheme is directly deposited into the institution's bank account, whereas the examination fee is transferred to the student's Aadhaar-linked bank account, ensuring transparency and timely benefit delivery. To address grievances effectively, the directorate of technical education has set up a dedicated helpline and support desk, with a special nodal officer to be appointed for expediting the resolution of complaints, particularly those related to unauthorised fee collection,' said Patil.
'Under the Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Education Fee Scholarship Scheme, as of June 16, 2025, the technical education department has disbursed a total of ₹784.46 crore directly benefiting 1,03,615 female students. In addition, the higher education department has received 1,32,188 applications, out of which ₹55.83 crore has already been distributed to 61,526 students. The remaining applications are currently undergoing final verification,' said Patil.
The scheme is not limited to diploma-level courses, but also extends to postgraduate professional programs such as MBA, MCA, and M.Pharm, thereby widening the scope of higher education opportunities for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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