Maharashtra standardises AYUSH college fees; orders probe into scholarship violations at 6 institutes

In a major relief for students, the Maharashtra Directorate of AYUSH has approved a standard fee structure for AYUSH colleges across the state for the academic year 2025-26. It has also constituted three teams to probe grievances against six private colleges for allegedly charging excess fees from female, EWS, and EBC students.

The inquiry committees have been formed following concerns over violation of Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2015, and irregularities in Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj fee reimbursement scheme.

6 AYUSH colleges violate scholarship rules

Students from six colleges — New Life Ayurved College, AMS Ayurvedic Medical College, Anjuman-I-Islams Dr MIJ Tibbia Unani Medical College, KG Mittal Ayurvedic College, ZVM Unani Medical College and Hospital, and Mohammadia Tibbia College (Unani medical) — have reported serious financial and academic difficulties.

They alleged that the government fee reimbursement schemes were not implemented, fee structures were “opaque and discriminatory”, and hostel and mess fees were “unjustifiable”.

Addressing the grievances submitted by students, the directorate directed the colleges to provide the benefit of government scholarships to eligible students and to refund the additional fees collected from the students.

This is not the first time, especially AYUSH colleges have been collecting full fees from female and economically backward classes (EBC) despite several warnings from the officials.

Maharashtra sets uniform fee for AYUSH colleges

The Directorate of AYUSH has approved standardized fee structure for government, govt-aided AYUSH colleges offering Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, Naturopathy, and Yogic Sciences colleges.

According to the fee structure, open-category students with an annual family income above Rs 8 lakh will have to pay Rs 65,400, which includes a tuition fee of Rs 57,400, development fee of Rs 3,000, Rs 1,000 as library fees, and other charges.

Students belonging to SC, ST, VJ, NT, and those eligible under the MAHADBT scholarship scheme will have to pay Rs 8,000, with a complete exemption from paying tuition fees.

For OBC, SEBC, and SBC students with non-creamy layer (NCL) certificates, female students have been exempted from paying tuition fees, while male students will have to pay Rs 36,700 per year. The same structure applies to BNYS courses, where open-category candidates will have to pay Rs 24,500 annually, while those eligible for scholarships will have to pay just Rs 8,000.

The hostel rent for all categories has been standardised at Rs 4,000 per year, and colleges have been directed not to charge any fee beyond the prescribed limit.

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Students welcome move

The Mission Awareness Foundation has welcomed the move of the state government to standardise the fees to ensure transparency, uniformity, and relief to students who rely on government scholarships.

"It brings much-needed clarity, transparency, and equity to the admission process, directly benefiting thousands of students who rely on state scholarship schemes like the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj fee reimbursement. This action affirms the commitment of the Directorate to social justice and accessible education," the email sent to the directorate of AYUSH read.

They also urged “the Directorate to expedite the committee's work and to take appropriate, strict, and immediate action against any of the named private colleges found to be willfully violating the Scholarship Schemes”.