EWS, SEBC, and OBC girls, Maharashtra is offering free higher education

The Maharashtra government made a huge announcement on Monday: girls from the Other Backward Classes (OBC), Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC), and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) will be able to receive free higher education.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde presided over a cabinet meeting where the decision was made to implement this program, which aims to advance women's education. In addition, a government resolution (GR) states that test and tuition fees for orphaned students of both genders will be waived.

Commencing with the 2024-25 academic year, the program is anticipated to incur expenses of Rs 906 crore. According to the GR, this initiative will help female students who apply to recognised vocational courses through the Centralised Admission Process in government, aided private, semi-aided private, and non-aided colleges; polytechnics; autonomous government universities; and open universities.

Higher education and technical programs, medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, animal husbandry, pisciculture, and dairy development are among the subjects offered.

However, the program is not available to students enrolled through management or institutional quotas, private autonomous universities, or self-funded universities. Female students must meet the EWS, SEBC, or OBC eligibility requirements and come from families with an annual income of Rs 8 lakh or less. This program will help current students pursuing their degrees as well as new admissions.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar unveiled a number of other initiatives in the state budget, such as the Mukhyamantri Annapoorna Yojana, which provides women with three free gas cylinders; the Mukhyamantri Yuva Karyaprashikshan Yojana; the Mukhyamantri Krishi Pump Yojana; the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which gives eligible women between the ages of 21 and 60 a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 and a comprehensive program for free education for women.

Chief Minister Shinde has emphasised that the programmes are supported by financial provisions and are meant to be permanent, despite the opposition's doubts about the funding sources and suggestions that they are aimed at winning over female voters ahead of the state assembly elections.