Nagpur: A major government decision granting 100 per cent tuition and examination fee waiver to students from EWS, OBC and SEBC categories pursuing professional and technical education has allegedly failed to reach the ground, raising serious concerns over its implementation, particularly for orphaned students.
The State Government had issued a Government Resolution (GR No. 2024/Pr.Kr.705/Prashi-4) on July 8, 2024, announcing complete fee exemption for eligible students. The resolution clearly states that all orphan students, irrespective of gender, are entitled to a 100 per cent fee waiver. However, several months after the announcement, orphan students claim they have received no tangible benefit, either through the MahaDBT portal or at the college level.
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No functional scheme for orphans on MahaDBT
Although the MahaDBT portal displays an option titled “Orphan without caste category,” there is no active scholarship or fee-waiver scheme available under this category. As a result, orphan students are being redirected to post-matric scholarship schemes, which require a caste certificate, a document many orphan students do not possess, rendering them automatically ineligible.
Complaints yield evasive responses
Students and activists have submitted multiple grievances and suggestions through the MahaDBT portal. Repeated representations have also been made via email to the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), the Women and Child Development Department, MahaIT/MahaDBT authorities, and even the Chief Minister’s Office in Mumbai and Nagpur. In addition, students have personally visited colleges and the DTE Nagpur office.
Despite these efforts, complainants allege they continue to receive vague responses, with officials stating that implementation decisions are handled “at the Mumbai level,” effectively passing the responsibility without resolution.
Policy on paper, not in practice
Issued in the name of social justice, the GR remains largely confined to paper, students allege. Key questions remain unanswered, which department is responsible for implementation, when a separate MahaDBT scheme for orphan students will be launched, and when the promised benefits will actually reach beneficiaries.
The delay has triggered widespread anger and frustration among orphan students across Maharashtra. With no family support and no access to fee waivers, many students are being forced to pay full fees, putting their education at serious risk.
Direct questions to the government
Students have now posed pointed questions to the State Government:
• Why has the July 8, 2024 Government Resolution not been implemented yet?
• Why is there no dedicated scheme for orphan students on the MahaDBT portal?
• Which department is responsible for this serious lapse?
• Who is accountable for delaying the implementation of a duly issued GR?
Students claim they possess all relevant documents, including copies of the GR, screenshots of the MahaDBT portal, and records of official correspondence, and have expressed readiness to engage directly with authorities.
As uncertainty persists, the question looms large: When will the government’s promise to orphan students finally translate into real support on the ground?
