The Department of Higher and Technical Education of Maharashtra has constituted an independent fee-fixation committee to regulate the fees of diploma courses in unaided private polytechnics, or technical education institutions. Grant of autonomy status to these institutes will now be based on their academic performance and the same can be withdrawn if they fail to perform. These institutes also include Diploma in Pharmacy, and the institutions running Government-recognised short term courses.

 

These are some of the amendments proposed in the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE) Act of 1997 polytechnics and diploma institutions. The amendment to the Act was was passed by the State Assembly after it was tabled by Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil. The Committee will be headed by retired officer not below the rank of Principal Secretary. The Officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary will be its Member Secretary. There will be two members experts in Engineering and Pharmacy.

 

The other members of the committee include retired officer who had worked as Director of Technical Education or Director of MSBTE, Chartered Accountant having 10 years of experience and member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, well-known Outlay Accountant having 10 years experience, Director of Technical Education, Director of MSBTE. Earlier fees for diploma courses in technical education were being regulated by the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA), formed under the provisions of Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fees) Act, 2015. But in 2018 FRA stopped regulating it. The new committee will work on the lines of the FRA.