Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government is actively moving toward formulating a comprehensive policy aimed at supporting students from single-mother families who face financial, social, and academic obstacles while pursuing higher education. As part of this effort, a special nine-member committee constituted to draft measures for the assistance, protection, and empowerment of these students has officially submitted its report. Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil shared this development following a detailed review meeting held at Mantralaya regarding the committee’s findings for the proposed ‘Educational Support, Protection, and Empowerment Policy-2026.’ During the session, the report was formally presented to Higher Education Director Dr. Shailendra Deolankar and Joint Director Dr. Archana Borhade by the panel’s leadership.
Expert Panel Conducted Study
The nine-member expert committee was formed under the leadership of Dr. Hemlata Bagla, Vice-Chancellor of HSNC University, and comprised college principals, legal experts, and social activists to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the challenges involved. Minister Chandrakant Patil emphasized that the submission of this report provides a solid foundation for the state government to take the necessary administrative steps forward. Discussions during the meeting focused on determining the exact mechanism for offering financial assistance, academic facilities, and institutional safety measures to eligible candidates. Additionally, officials deliberated on the key operational requirement of securing the formal consent of the respective male or female students before extending policy benefits to them.
The high-level meeting was attended by key decision-makers, including B. Venugopal Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary of Higher and Technical Education; Dilip Sardesai, Commissioner of the State Common Entrance Test Cell; Dr. Pramod Naik, Director of MSBTE and Technical Education; Dr. Rajnish Kamat, Vice-Chancellor of Shivaji University; as well as Deputy Secretaries Ashok Mande, Amol Mutyal, and Pratap Lubal alongside other committee members and senior department officials. Reaffirming the administration’s goal, Minister Patil noted that the core focus of the upcoming policy is to eliminate the economic, social, and academic hurdles that single-parent children encounter, ensuring their higher education journey remains smooth, secure, and fully empowered.
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