14 October,2026 06:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil. PIC/X
The Maharashtra government is working on a comprehensive policy to address the financial, social and educational challenges faced by students from single-mother families pursuing higher education, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said.
A committee constituted to formulate the proposed Educational Support, Protection and Empowerment Policy 2026 for such students has submitted its report, Patil stated on Wednesday.
A review meeting was held at the state secretariat in Mumbai to discuss the report prepared by the committee chaired by Dr Hemlata Bagla, Vice-Chancellor of HSNC University. The report was submitted to Director of Higher Education Dr Shailendra Deolankar and Joint Director Dr Archana Borhade.
Patil said a nine-member committee had been constituted under Bagla's chairpersonship. The panel included college principals, legal experts and social workers.
With the report now submitted, the government has an important basis for taking forward the proposed policy, the minister said.
The meeting also discussed how educational assistance, facilities and protection could be extended to students from single-mother families. The issue of obtaining the consent of students before extending benefits under the proposed policy was also deliberated upon.
The policy aims to ensure that students from single-mother families do not face financial, social or educational hurdles while pursuing higher education and receive the necessary support and protection.
The government is committed to making their higher education journey easier, safer and more empowering by taking their needs and circumstances into account, Patil said.
Senior officials present at the meeting included Additional Chief Secretary of the Higher and Technical Education Department B Venugopal Reddy, State Common Entrance Test Cell Commissioner Dilip Sardesai, Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education Director Dr Pramod Naik, and other officials and university representatives.
In a separate development, Patil said that students from drought-affected talukas should not be charged examination fees. Any fees already collected from them must be refunded, he said, adding that strict action would be taken against colleges found violating the instructions.
In a post on X, Patil said a meeting was held with vice-chancellors of public universities to review examination fees, measures to prevent question paper leaks, academic schedules and student welfare.
He also said public universities had been instructed to follow a uniform academic schedule from the 2026-27 academic year and make degree certificates available on DigiLocker from the following academic year.
