Latest news with #RegulationofAdmissionsandFees)Act
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
State warns colleges against overcharging students with fee
The Department of Higher and Technical Education has directed all private and unaided professional colleges in the state not to collect full course fees from students eligible for government scholarships. It issued a government circular on August 12, stating that educational institutions must deduct the scholarship amount sanctioned by the government while charging tuition and other fees. Colleges have been warned of strict legal action under Section 20 of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, if they fail to comply. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) Colleges have been warned of strict legal action under Section 20 of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, if they fail to comply. As per the directive, students admitted under the centralised admission process conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education and state CET Cell who are eligible for scholarships through schemes available on the MahaDBT portal, should only be charged the remaining balance after accounting for the government-sanctioned amount. 'Colleges have been instructed not to collect the entire fee from such students, as it violates both legal provisions and the purpose of the scholarship schemes,' an education department official. The move comes in response to an increasing number of complaints received by the department, where several institutions were allegedly found demanding full fees from scholarship beneficiaries, despite their eligibility for fee waivers or reimbursements. 'It has been observed that certain institutions are charging more than the fee approved by the Fee Regulatory Authority. Such acts amount to profiteering and will be treated as a punishable offence,' the official said. To ensure transparency, colleges have also been instructed to clearly display the approved course-wise fee structure on their official website and notice board in both Marathi and English. They are also barred from collecting fees beyond the current academic year. Institutions found violating the rules will face punitive action for 'profiteering', a term the law strictly prohibits in the context of educational services. To facilitate reporting of violations, the CET Cell will soon publish helpline numbers and a complaint portal on its official website.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
FRA warns colleges against charging excess fees
Pune: In a significant directive, the Maharashtra Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) has directed all private professional colleges across the state to refrain from collecting any deposits or fees beyond the officially approved amounts. The authority has also warned that strict action will be taken against institutions if students or parents report violations of this mandate. The order was issued on August 10. FRA warns colleges against charging excess fees Arjun Chikhale, FRA secretary, said, 'Colleges have been reminded that the maximum permissible deposit amount is already fixed. This guideline, framed during the FRA's meeting on August 28, 2024, and later included in the academic year 2025–26 regulations published in October 2024, clearly states that the deposit should be collected only once and not under multiple names.' The FRA has emphasised that the deposit amount must be refunded to students upon completion of their course. Further, as per Section 14(5) of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, no institution is allowed to collect fees exceeding the total annual cost for a given academic year. The circular comes at a time when admission processes are underway for various professional courses, including engineering, management, hotel management, and law. The authority has also cautioned that any breach of the 2015 Act or its rules will invite action under Section 20 of the Act if violations are confirmed through complaints. Chikhale said, 'Many colleges in the state offer hostel and mess facilities to students. The FRA has clarified that these amenities must remain optional and that no student should be compelled to avail them. Institutions have been instructed to ensure that opting out of hostel or mess services does not affect a student's admission or access to academic facilities'. With these directives, the FRA aims to curb unfair fee practices and ensure transparency, especially during the crucial admission period. 'Many of us have been forced to pay extra deposits, and we never get the money again. This directive will give us the confidence to question such demands,' said a parent of an engineering student 'Not every student wants to stay in the hostel or take the mess food, but colleges make it compulsory to avail the facility. The change will save us thousands of rupees every year,' said Khushi Tarekar, a student.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Students & parents advised to be careful during admission season
With the admission season having started, several parents across Maharashtra are finding themselves caught in a web of fraudulent agents promising guaranteed seats in prestigious professional colleges under the management quota. In the past two months alone, at least three to four such cases have occurred raising concerns over the transparency of the admission process in private and deemed universities. Many students with average academic marks, along with their parents, attempt to secure seats in reputed institutions through alternative routes. (HT) Despite recent amendments to the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, which mandate a transparent admission process for management quota seats in professional courses such as engineering, pharmacy, MBA, MCA, and architecture, the situation on the ground is anything but. While affiliated colleges are required to follow stricter norms, private and deemed universities have been granted complete autonomy which grants agents access to thrive. A parent told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity, 'I came across an agent through a Prime Shiksha advertisement on social media. When I contacted them, they asked me to visit their office at Agarwal Business Park in Kharadi. The agent's name was Deepak Agarwal, and two others Vineet and Shivam Sharma. They initially asked ₹ 13 lakh for admission to engineering at PICT through the NRI and institute quota. After some discussion, the deal was fixed at ₹ 12 lakh. We even visited the college and filled out a form and I paid them ₹ 12 lakh. They told us that the college would send an admission confirmation through email. However, when I tried to contact them the next day, their phones were switched off, and the office was locked. My son scored 92% which is quite good. I want to warn other parents; please don't fall for such agents.' Responding to this, Kalpesh Yadav, joint secretary of Yuva Sena, said, 'The criteria for management quota admissions is that they should be carried out based on merit. Last year, we successfully completed the admission of 383 students purely on merit, without taking a single rupee and we are also raising voice against it.' Cities like Pune and Nashik, which host some of the state's top institutions, are witnessing a surge in demand for management quota seats. Many students with average academic marks, along with their parents, attempt to secure seats in reputed institutions through alternative routes. In doing so, they often rely on admission agents, many of whom turn out to be fraudsters. In Pune, at least three to four such fraud cases have surfaced in the last year, with parents reportedly losing lakhs of rupees. The agents exploit the urgency and emotional vulnerability of families keen on securing their child's academic future. As a result, many institutes and government officials are urging families to avoid falling for promises of guaranteed admissions. Several institutions have started issuing public advisories, warning against dealing with unverified agents. To address the rising number of complaints, support groups such as the Innovation Foundation and Yuva Sena have set up helplines for students and parents facing admission-related issues. 'Last year, we helped several students who had been defrauded by these agents. This year, too, our helpline is open to assist anyone in need,' said Kalpesh Yadav, joint secretary of Yuva Sena. The helpline number for assistance is 9623337777.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Institutional round applications for engg, mgmt via CET cell too
Mumbai: Aspirants seeking admission in the institutional round for engineering, management and pharmacy courses can now apply centrally through the state's CET cell too. Previously, candidates only had the option of approaching individual colleges directly and often faced the risk of being turned away on various pretexts. To bring in more transparency in admissions to institutional quota seats across technical courses, including diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate, the state govt has decided to step up precautionary measures. For instance, the govt has now removed the ambiguity in the definition of 'NRI', paving the way for only genuine candidates to secure seats under the quota. Additionally, the state's Fees Regulatory Authority (FRA) also fixed fees for institutional quota seats for the first time in technical colleges—private, unaided colleges can now charge up to five times the fees for merit seats from NRI students and three times from students taking admission in management seats. The govt issued a notification bringing in amendments in the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015 on Friday. One of the provisions in the notification stated, "In case a candidate is unable to submit the application directly to the concerned institute for any reason, the candidate shall have the opportunity to apply through the website of the CET cell till the date of allotment of final admission round. " These applications will be forwarded to the respective institutions after the allotment process of round four and will be considered for merit, it mentioned. Vinod Mohitkar, director, directorate of technical education, said the govt is not overstepping on the rights of management to conduct the institutional round. "We receive some complaints from students about certain institutions refusing applications for the institutional round. We are, therefore, only offering students an additional platform to apply. These applications will be compiled and sent to respective institutions and they will include these names, while preparing their merit list," said the director. Some of the admission rules were also modified in the notification, but were announced before. The state's cabinet, in a meeting this week, also announced aspirants seeking admission under the NRI quota for any courses will have to submit a certificate from respective consulate offices or documents mentioned in Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. A department official said even local students claimed admissions under NRI quota by submitting affidavits. Higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil had announced revision in admission process for more transparency.
