Mumbai: Days after its announcement by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in the budget for 2024-25, the Maharashtra government on Monday issued a government resolution (GR) granting a 100 per cent fee waiver, instead of the existing 50 per cent, in professional courses to girls from the OBC, EWS, and SEBC categories.
This initiative aims to empower girls whose parents’ income is Rs 8 lakh or less annually.
As per the GR issued by the state Higher and Technical Education Department, the scheme will be implemented from the academic year 2024-25.
The state cabinet has given its approval for bearing the additional burden of Rs 906.05 crore. The Higher and Technical Department has said that the government decision was necessitated as currently only 36 per cent of girls opt for professional courses. It is expected that this decision will encourage more girls to enrol in courses such as nursing, MBBS, MBA, BMM, BMS, BCA, and others.
Further, it is also expected that the scheme will help girls to pursue higher education which they may not have done for want of money.
The GR will be applicable to the girls studying in government colleges, non-grant government and partially run on government grant colleges or permanently run without government grant colleges, polytechnic, public universities and deemed universities.
Shiv Sena spokesperson and party’s women wing coordinator Susiben Shah hailed the government’s move, saying: “Once again, CM has demonstrated that this government is committed to serving the common man.”
(IANS)
