Maharashtra: Girls may have to wait longer for free education

Representation pic

The promise of free higher education for female students, made earlier this year, remains unfulfilled as the academic year begins, say educationists and Opposition leaders. Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil cited the election model code of conduct as the cause for the delay and stated that the government would soon issue an order for free education for girls in the state.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil. File pic

In February, Patil promised that the state government would cover 100 per cent of fees for girls in various professional courses starting from June 1. However, as mid-June approaches, the government resolution (GR) has not been issued, nor has the policy been implemented. Patil's announcement has led to confusion.

The delay in formalising the policy has led to much confusion. Representation pic

"The minister announced on February 9 that those girls whose parents earn less than R8 lakh annually would receive free education in medical, engineering, law, and 662 other courses. However, this promise remains unfulfilled as mid-June has passed. No GR has been issued, and the policy has not been implemented, even though college admissions have already begun," said a teacher from a degree college in the western suburbs.

State Education Minister Chandrakant Patil. File pic

The delay in formalising the policy has prompted widespread questions about when the government will implement the promised free education. "When we inquired from the college about our fees being waived from June and the minister himself had announced this, the college administration informed us that no such official notification had been received. This has led to conflicts between students and college authorities at many higher education institutes," said a law aspirant.

Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar shared a post on X, where he said, "State Education Minister Chandrakant Patil announced that girls would receive free education in the state from June 1. But now, half of June has passed, and the GR has not been issued. Implementation is still far away."

Minister clarifies

Reacting to this chaos, on Sunday, Minister Chandrakant Patil clarified that the state government will soon issue an order for free education for girls in the state. Speaking at a ‘bhoomi pujan' event organised by the Maharashtrian Brahmin Sabha, he emphasised the government's commitment to prioritising girls' education. Patil said: "The interim announcement for free education was for families with an annual income of less than R8 lakh. However, due to the code of conduct for the Lok Sabha election, the order was delayed but will be implemented soon."