Pune: Chandrakant Patil, the State Minister of Higher and Technical Education, has launched a review of the Maharashtra government’s fee waiver initiative for girls enrolled in professional and medical courses. As part of his assessment, Patil made an unannounced visit to Garware College in Pune to evaluate how effectively the scheme is being implemented. He also announced plans to visit 100 colleges across the state to oversee its progress.
The Maharashtra government introduced the fee waiver to encourage more female students to pursue higher education in professional fields. The scheme, which is supported by a ₹2,000 crore budget for 842 courses, aims to eliminate financial barriers to education. To ensure smooth execution, the government has set up guidelines and a monitoring team to address any grievances from female students.
During his visit to Garware College, Patil spoke directly with students to better understand their concerns and gather feedback. He emphasized that many girls are unable to pursue higher education due to the high costs and expressed the initiative’s goal of making education more accessible. “I urge all girls to contact the designated nodal officers at their colleges before March 31 to complete the paperwork and benefit from the fee waiver,” Patil said.
Patil also directed that each college establish a joint committee, composed of students and administrative staff, to help identify and address any challenges faced by students in implementing the scheme.
Patil’s visit to Garware College marked the second stop of his review, following his visit to Thadomal Shahani College in Mumbai. During his interactions with students, some requested an increase in the stipend for the “Earn and Learn” scheme. Patil assured them that steps would be taken to address these concerns.
Accompanying Patil on the visit were Shailendra Deolankar, Director of Higher Education, and Prakash Bachhav, Deputy Director.
