Why charge Mumbai students more for admission information book?

The prices have been mentioned in the information book

Parents of Std XI students from across Mumbai are fuming over the fact that the state government has decided to charge them more for an online admission information book, compared to the other regions of Maharashtra. While students from Mumbai have to pay Rs 250, those from other parts of the state will only be charged Rs 150. However, the parents are left with no option but to purchase the books, as a registration ID and one-time password is being provided along with it.

Speaking to mid-day, Uday Nare, a teacher from Hansraj Morarji School in Andheri, said, "At a time when everyone is talking about Digital India, the state government is making students buy these books. The information can easily be made available online along with registration ID and one time password. The government should at least clarify why there is such disparity in the pricing of the book."

"Whatever may be the price, students have to buy the book because they need the registration ID and one time password for the online admission process. It is an unfair practice to have different prices for different regions," said Atul Kulkarni, a parent from Borivli Another parent, Manish Jha, said, "The question is whether the government is running a profit-making business, because every year lakhs of candidates apply for Std XI admissions."

A senior official from the office of the Deputy Director of Education Mumbai, said, "This is not exactly the price of the book, but a processing fee collected from students. As the Mumbai region includes Navi Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, and it has the highest number of students taking admission, the cost is higher."

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