Mumbai (Maharashtra): The Maharashtra government will bear the tuition fees of all transgender students studying in state universities, the state's Higher Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said on Tuesday.
Patil announced the decision at a meeting about the National Education Policy's implementation at Mumbai's Dr. Homi Bhaba State University. NEP aims to give free education to transgender students attending state-affiliated colleges and universities. The minister said it was being deliberated upon as to how the university could use its funds judiciously to cover all of the tuition costs for transgender students.
He focused on the significance of implementing the NEP as soon as possible and called on universities to take the lead in carrying out this initiative. During the state-level meeting, the minister's decision was warmly welcomed and approved, paving the way for transgender students to take advantage of free education in state university systems.
Professor Vinayak Dhope of the Teacher's Revolution Association, however, questioned the feasibility of funding such a program and suggested that physically challenged students and those belonging to economically weaker sections and other marginalised groups should also be brought under the ambit of the latest move.
Dhope stressed the importance of securing solid funding guarantees, especially if corporate funding were to be considered. Senior education expert Arvind Vaidya lauded the government's decision but also pointed out the need for addressing pending issues, particularly the reimbursement of student fees for socio-economically disadvantaged sections.
Vaidya urged for a comprehensive strategy to allocate substantial funds to universities for providing free education, keeping in mind the demand made by the noted 19th-century social activist Jyotirao Phule back in 1882. Phule had advocated affordable primary and higher education, something that has not been efficiently implemented even after nearly 150 years.
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