Maharashtra waives semester exam fees for over 2.4 lakh drought‑hit students

Maharashtra has waived semester examination fees for more than 2.4 lakh students from drought‑affected areas. A total of 2,40,365 students across 26 state universities chose the zero‑fee option when filing exam forms. The waiver follows a government resolution that bars universities from charging fees to students in the 305 talukas now classified as drought‑affected, up from 265 earlier. The Higher and Technical Education Department issued the order, and Director of Higher Education Shailendra Devlankar instructed all universities to circulate notices informing students of the free exams. The University of Mumbai has begun refunding exam fees already paid, amounting to Rs 3.5 crore. State officials expect the number of beneficiaries to exceed five lakh as the policy rolls out. Students with complaints about the waiver are asked to contact nodal officers appointed by their universities. Minister of Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil said the move ensures that the drought crisis does not interrupt any student’s education and that the department acted quickly to lift the financial burden. The rise in drought‑affected talukas signals worsening water scarcity in large parts of the state.

Context

Waiving exam fees is part of Maharashtra’s broader effort to ease the economic strain on families hit by severe drought, aiming to keep school attendance stable during the crisis.