The Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Department is working on a new policy to encourage more girls to pursue higher education by allowing them to earn while they study.
The initiative comes soon after the department scrapped tuition fees for over 800 courses and introduced a subsistence allowance of Rs 6,000 a month to help cover rent and food.
According to a media report, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil has now hinted at the launch of a new ‘Earn and Learn’ scheme. Under it, girl students would get Rs 2,000 a month through part-time jobs facilitated by their colleges.
“A list of eligible students will be compiled and submitted to the department. The amount will be directly transferred to the students’ bank accounts each month,” said Patil.
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The government plans to extend benefits to nearly five lakh students, with a monthly allocation of Rs 1,000 crore. If run for a year, the scheme would require Rs 12,000 crore.
Patil said talks are underway with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to arrange the funding. However, he admitted that approval could take time given the state’s financial situation.
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