Girls in higher education may soon get ₹2,000 per month under new scheme

Maharashtra is drafting a 'Earn and Learn' policy to boost girls' higher education, providing ₹2,000 monthly for eligible students alongside other financial aids.

Pune:

Girl-students

In a move aimed at increasing the participation of girls in higher education, the Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Department is drafting a new policy that will enable women students to earn while studying.

The department has already waived tuition fees for 842 courses and introduced a monthly subsistence allowance of ₹6,000 to help cover housing and food expenses. However, officials say that students still require additional financial support for daily expenses and academic materials.

To address this need, Higher and Technical Education minister Chandrakant Patil announced on August 19 that a new ‘Earn and Learn’ scheme is being developed. Under the proposed scheme, participating girl students will receive ₹2,000 per month through employment opportunities facilitated by their colleges.

“A list of eligible students will be compiled and submitted to the department. The amount will be directly transferred to the students’ bank accounts each month,” Patil said.

Initially, the government plans to cover up to five lakh students, requiring an allocation of ₹100 crore per month. If implemented for a full year, the scheme would need a total budget of ₹1,000 crore.

Patil also stated that discussions are underway with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to secure the required funding. However, he acknowledged that approval may take time due to the state’s current financial constraints.

Meanwhile, the department will continue to work on finalising the scheme’s structure and implementation strategy.