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Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will take action against colleges that deny admission to girl students under the tuition fee waiver scheme, said minister Chandrakant Patil on Friday, warning that affiliation of such institutes could be cancelled.

Replying to a discussion during Question Hour in the legislative assembly, the higher and technical education minister said the decision taken two years ago to waive tuition fees for girls pursuing professional courses was a “revolutionary step” aimed at boosting women’s participation in higher education.

The minister said the scheme has already resulted in a sharp increase in enrollment of girl students in colleges. “The number of girl students has increased from 85,068 in the 2023-24 academic year to 1,15,800, registering a rise of about 41 per cent,” he said.

Patil said that some colleges were asking students to first pay the fees and then claim reimbursement after the government releases scholarship funds. He said the government has made it mandatory to appoint a nodal officer in every college to ensure proper implementation of the fee waiver scheme.

“If any college refuses admission to eligible girl students on the grounds of fees, we will not hesitate to initiate action, including cancellation of affiliation,” the minister said.

Patil also said the government is working to simplify the scholarship application process and reduce documentation requirements on the MahaDBT portal.

The number of documents required for scholarship applications has been reduced from 17 to eight, while efforts are underway to further streamline verification procedures, he said.

He added that the state government is prioritising the timely disbursal of scholarships and reimbursements to colleges.

“Scholarships will be treated with priority, similar to salary payments, so that students do not face difficulties,” Patil said.

The minister said that students who do not get hostel accommodation are eligible for a monthly allowance of up to Rs 6,000 to support their stay.

Patil also informed the House that the government is considering expansion of the “earn and learn” initiative under which students can work in college libraries, laboratories or campus activities and receive a stipend of around Rs 2,000 per month.

He said the government is also setting up around 40 facilitation centres across the state to help students fill scholarship applications and resolve issues related to the process.

The minister urged legislators to inform the government about institutions violating the scheme so that immediate action can be taken.