Strict action against educational institutions taking fees from girls from lower income families

Patil’s directions are in keeping with the 100% waiver of academic- and examination- fees for female students coming from families with an annual income of less than ₹8 lakh announced earlier by the state

Following complaints from students, higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil has made it plain that strict action will be taken against those colleges and universities that charge education- and examination- fees from girls coming from families with an annual income of less than ₹8 lakh. Patil’s directions are in keeping with the 100% waiver of academic- and examination- fees for female students coming from families with an annual income of less than ₹8 lakh announced earlier by the state.

A meeting was held at Mantralaya wherein Patil said that strict action will be taken against those colleges and universities charging education- and examination- fees from girls coming from families with an annual income of less than ₹8 lakh. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

A meeting was held at Mantralaya wherein Patil said that strict action will be taken against those colleges and universities charging education- and examination- fees from girls coming from families with an annual income of less than ₹8 lakh. “Among the students admitted through the centralised admission process (CAP) excluding management quota and institutional-level admissions, conducted by the competent authority of the government, girls whose family income is less than ₹8 lakh per annum should not be charged education- and examination- fees,” Patil said. The instructions are applicable to government colleges, government aided non-government colleges, partially aided (phase grant) and permanent unaided colleges/technical colleges/public universities, government recognised universities (excluding private recognised universities/self-funded universities), and sub-centres under public universities (recognised professional courses therein).

Also present at the meeting were principal secretary of the higher education department, Vikas Chandra Rastogi; director of technical education, Dr Vinod Mohitkar; director of higher education, Shailendra Devlankar; deputy secretary, Ashok Mande; and other senior officials.

Patil gave instructions to the concerned officials in the meeting that strict action will be taken against universities and colleges charging education- and examination- fees to girls from families with an annual income of less than ₹8 lakh.

A senior education official on condition of anonymity said, “We are going to carry out random checks at universities and educational institutions across the state to see whether fees are being taken from girls for technical education courses. If any educational institution is found taking fees and not following the state government rule, action will be taken against it.”