The Maharashtra government has allowed a significant fee increase for management quota seats in private medical colleges. Under this new regulation, fees for Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Homeopathy, and Unani medicine courses—both undergraduate and postgraduate—can now be up to five times higher than the standard rates set by the Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA).
Starting from the academic year 2024-25, the Maharashtra government’s new fee structure will impact 15% of the seats under the management and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quotas at private, unaided medical colleges offering Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Homeopathy, and Unani medicine courses. Under this revised policy, colleges are allowed to charge up to five times the regular fees, compared to the previous three to four times. This means that fees for management quota seats in these courses could reach as high as Rs 13.5 lakh, while the standard fees for the general category are approximately Rs 2.75 lakh.
According to a government notification, this fee increase was introduced in response to a request from the association of private, unaided medical colleges in Maharashtra.
The decision has faced strong criticism from aspiring students, their parents, and student organizations. Many argue that the majority of medical colleges in Maharashtra are private, and the steep fee increase will render a significant number of seats unaffordable for many. Critics also question the justification for such high fees for courses like BAMS, Homeopathy, and Unani, which are less popular compared to mainstream medical disciplines.
An aspirant commented, “The fee structure for BAMS, Unani, and Homeopathy under the management quota is set to skyrocket with this decision. The government is making these seats inaccessible to middle-class students.”
A parent shared similar concerns about postgraduate students, stating, “Due to state quota restrictions for those who completed their undergraduate studies outside Maharashtra, many rely on the management quota for admissions in private colleges. With this fee hike, it will no longer be a viable option.”
Kuldeep Ambekar from Student Helping Hands, a student organization, added, “Medical education is already out of reach for students from modest financial backgrounds or middle-class families. By allowing private colleges to charge five times the regular fees, the government is making it even more expensive.”