Maharashtra Moves to Bring Autonomous Colleges, Private Universities Under FRA
MUMBAI — The Maharashtra state government is considering bringing autonomous colleges and private universities under the purview of the Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) following long-pending demands from students and parents. The higher and technical education department has directed the FRA to examine the matter and submit a report on expanding the scope of its regulatory work.
At present, the FRA only regulates private and unaided professional colleges, reviewing their infrastructure and faculty expenditure before determining fee structures. However, an official noted that the state currently lacks a comprehensive record of fees charged by autonomous colleges and private universities relative to their infrastructure and the quality of education provided.
Maharashtra has around 300 autonomous colleges, including nearly 160 for arts, science, and commerce, where fees are determined at the institutional level. The state also has 34 private universities, with two more in the health sciences category set to join the list soon. With relatively less stringent regulatory norms, an increasing number of educational trusts have been seeking private university status. State department sources stressed that educational institutions should not indulge in profiteering, regardless of their category.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil discussed issues related to the FRA and methods to expand its oversight during a meeting on August 4. The FRA has also been instructed to formulate a procedure for calculating development fees as part of tuition fees, a move that could reduce the development fee component paid by students across various courses. The matter was tabled at an FRA meeting on August 18 but was not taken up for discussion.
Although autonomous colleges are permitted to fix their own fees under University Grants Commission guidelines, they must comply with the norms of their affiliating universities. State universities have not been regulating these fees, prompting complaints over expensive courses. Officials are now studying whether these fees can be placed under the FRA, as many courses offered by autonomous colleges are professional in nature.
Private universities are governed by the Maharashtra Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2023, which requires them to table balance sheets in the state legislature. However, officials stated that these financial statements are only tabled and are neither reviewed nor regulated. To address this, the government is considering an amendment to the 2023 Act.
The state is also awaiting a report from the Bhushan Patwardhan committee, which is reviewing the entire Act, including provisions concerning fees. An amendment is likely to be introduced during the winter session of the state legislature.
