1.51 lakh students to benefit as Maharashtra relaxes fee waiver norms for poor students

The government relaxed the marks criteria for availing Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Fee Reimbursement Scheme

A year after the Maharashtra government decided to offer fee waiver only to those students from economically backward class (EBC) who score more than 60% marks, the state has revoked its decision.

Under the scheme, EBC students applying for courses such as medical, engineering, management, agriculture and pharmacy will have to pay only half the fees if their parents earn less than Rs6 lakh a year. (Representational photo)

The move is likely to benefit 6,000 students in government colleges and 1.45 lakh students from private institutes.

Through a government resolution (GR) issued on Friday, the state relaxed the marks criteria for availing Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Fee Reimbursement Scheme, thus extending the benefit to all the EBC students.

Under the scheme, EBC students applying for courses such as medical, engineering, management, agriculture and pharmacy will have to pay only half the fees if their parents earn less than
Rs6 lakh a year.

“The objective of this decision is to extend the scheme to all the EBC students, irrespective of their marks,” said Kiran Patil, deputy secretary, state higher and technical education department.

Patil said the change in the policy will cost the state exchequer an additional Rs20 crore every year.

“Poor students need the waiver because the fees of private colleges has skyrocketed. But one doesn't understand why the government keeps changing its policies every now and then?” he said.

The 60% criterion was introduced last October after the state increased the income limit for availing waiver to Rs6 lakh per year.

Following which the students needed to score at least 60% marks in Class 10 or Class 12 to apply for waiver while pursuing diploma and degree courses.

However, students whose families earned less than Rs2.5 lakh annually were exempted from the criterion.