Maharashtra:Free Higher Education to EWS,SEBC,OBC Girl Students in the State
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The state government of Maharashtra recently declared free higher education levels for girls from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) within the state. This new policy, which forms part of a wider policy regarding women, has an objective in the empowerment of female students through tuition and exanimational fees waiver on payment for recognized vocational courses through the Centralized Admission Process in different educational institutions.Eligibility and CoverageThe scheme has provisions to grant free waiver facilities to all lady students falling under EWS, SEBC, and OBC categories. The benefits of such a scheme will accrue to any type of courses running under higher and technical education, medicine, pharmacy, departments of agriculture, animal husbandry, pisciculture, and dairy development. It shall not apply to any of the courses run under the purview of private autonomous universities, self-financing universities, and management and institutional quota admissibles.,Implementation and CostThe policy change will be implemented from the academic year 2024-25 and is expected to cost the state Rs 906 crore. Female students, who are aspiring to take admission to government colleges, aided private colleges, semi-aided private colleges, nongovernmental and nongovernmental unaided colleges, polytechnics, autonomous government universities and open universities of the state offering recognised vocational courses through Centralised Admission Process, will benefit from the facility. The government resolution (GR) formalising this initiative was passed during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath ShindeOpposition and FundingThe declaration of this scheme and many others in the ilk one have been opposed by the opposition as to where from the money for the same will come. Also, they alleged these were just wooing tactics aimed at the women electorate, a few months before the State Assembly polls. But Chief Minister Shinde has clarified in veiled terms that monetary provisions have already been made for the above-mentioned schemes, and the initiatives will be of permanent nature.In concluding words, it is a big step on the part of the Maharashtra government to declare higher education free of girls from EWS, SEBC, and OBC categories. This scheme is from empowering the female student and providing her the opportunities meant for higher education. Among the suggested changed in policy, the revision includes exemption of tuition, examination fees for recognized vocational courses under the Centralised Admission Process in various educational institutes. Effective from the academic year 2024-25, the scheme will benefit a huge number of eligible female students within the state.
