Compiled from reports by Daijiworld, Careerindia and The Live Nagpur. See the original articles linked below.
More than 2.4 lakh students in Maharashtra have so far taken advantage of a waiver of semester examination fees meant for those living in drought-affected parts of the state. Daijiworld reported on October 20 that, according to officials speaking on Monday, 2,40,365 students at 26 universities have been covered.
Careerindia, which also published its report on October 20, said these students chose the zero-fee option while completing their semester exam forms. Both outlets described the benefit as limited to students from areas officially notified as drought-affected.
How the waiver came about
Daijiworld reported that the Higher and Technical Education Department put the waiver into effect after the relief and rehabilitation department issued a government resolution dated September 25. Daijiworld and The Live Nagpur both said the number of talukas classed as drought-hit has since gone up from 265 to 305.
According to The Live Nagpur, which cited figures from the Higher and Technical Education Department, eligible students in those talukas can submit exam forms without paying the usual semester fees. Careerindia reported that Director of Higher Education Shailendra Devlankar asked universities to circulate notices informing students of the waiver. The Live Nagpur likewise said universities have been directed to publicise it through official notices.
University-wise figures and refunds
Daijiworld gave a breakdown for several institutions. It said Savitribai Phule Pune University has 65,200 beneficiaries, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University 78,689, SNDT Women's University 66,431, the University of Mumbai 46,575 and Solapur University 12,367.
Daijiworld also reported that universities have been told not to charge exam fees to eligible students, and that those who had already paid are being refunded. In its account, COEP Technological University and Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth have started returning money, while Shivaji University, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University and Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University are processing refunds. Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, it said, introduced a zero-challan facility to make the waiver easier to apply.
The Live Nagpur put the amount the University of Mumbai has begun refunding at about Rs 3.5 crore.
Official statements and expectations
The Live Nagpur reported that the government estimates the total number of beneficiaries across the state could go beyond five lakh.
Daijiworld quoted Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil as saying the department moved quickly so that students from drought-hit families would not carry this additional expense, and that "no eligible student will be deprived of the benefit."
According to The Live Nagpur, the measure is aimed at easing education costs for families under financial strain because of the drought.
Sources
- Maharashtra exam fee waiver benefits 2.4 lac students (Daijiworld, 2026-10-20)
- Maharashtra Fee Waiver 2026: 2.4 Lakh Students Get Exam Fee Relief (Careerindia, 2026-10-20)
- Exam Fees Waived For 2.4 Lakh Students In Maharashtra (The Live Nagpur, 2026-10-20)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.