Breaking Barriers: Free Education Scheme Boosts Girls’ Admission Rates in Maharashtra
Breaking Barriers: Free Education Scheme Boosts Girls' Admission Rates in Maharashtra (representational pic)
Maharashtra’s free education scheme for girls, launched earlier this year by the Higher and Technical Education Department, has led to a remarkable rise in enrolments. The scheme provides free education for girls in degree, diploma, and postgraduate programmes, provided their family income does not exceed ₹8 lakh annually.
The subsidy covers professional courses like engineering, law, pharmacy, and management. According to officials, the academic year 2024–25 saw an increase of 44,198 admissions among girls compared to the previous year, which has been described as “phenomenal.”
Data from the state Common Entrance Test (CET) cell shows girls secured 173,434 out of 597,277 available seats in 2024–25. This is a significant increase from last year when girls secured 129,263 out of 414,713 seats.
The rise is particularly evident in courses like Master of Business Administration (MBA), law, engineering-technology, and computer applications. Officials noted that the scheme has notably boosted the percentage of girls enrolling in diploma, degree, and postgraduate courses.
There were initial errors in the government resolution, causing some confusion. However, a revised decision was later issued to address the issues.
“The rise of 44,198 admissions this year reaffirms our commitment to increasing the percentage of girls in education. I am proud that Maharashtra, where Savitribai Phule championed women’s education, is now enabling daughters to achieve new milestones,” an official stated.
With its strong start, the free education scheme is expected to reshape Maharashtra’s educational landscape, empowering more girls to pursue technical and professional fields. Officials anticipate even better results next year.
