Maharashtra to Revise 2015 Professional Course Admission and Fee Act: 7-Member Panel Gets 10 Days
A seven-member committee led by Rajendra Bhagwat will redraft the 2015 law on admissions and fees in private professional colleges within 10 days.
Photo: Jobin RV / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 9th November 2026: The Maharashtra government has set up a seven-member committee to revise the 2015 law that governs admissions and fees in private professional colleges, such as engineering, pharmacy and management institutes. The committee has been asked to submit a draft of the amended Act and rules within 10 days.
The Higher and Technical Education Department issued the government resolution (GR) on 6 November.
Who is on the committee
The committee is chaired by Rajendra Bhagwat, a retired Principal Secretary. According to Pudhari, its members are:
- Member Secretary, Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA)
- Member Secretary, Admission Regulatory Authority, who is also Commissioner of the State CET Cell
- Director of Higher Education
- Director of Technical Education
- D.P. Gomare, retired Joint Secretary and legal adviser, Law and Judiciary Department
It will work from the Directorate of Technical Education office in Mumbai.
Which law is being revised
The law is the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015. It sets up the FRA, which fixes fees in private unaided professional colleges, and the Admission Regulatory Authority, which oversees admissions through the CET Cell.
The Directorate of Technical Education, the Admission Regulatory Authority and the FRA have each sent proposals to change the law. The committee will study them and prepare a revised Act and rules, Pudhari reported. Sakal said the changes could affect both admission procedures and how private institutions set fees.
Why students and parents are watching
Fees in private professional colleges have risen sharply in the last few years. Yuva Sena (UBT) Joint Secretary Kalpesh Yadav questioned the committee’s purpose, alleging that the FRA has approved fee increases irregularly over the past two years.
He asked whether the committee would control fee hikes or make them easier, and said a good draft must both curb fees and keep admissions transparent, Pudhari reported.
What it means for Pune students
Pune has one of the largest clusters of private engineering, pharmacy, management and architecture colleges in the state, around Narhe, Ambegaon, Lohegaon, Akurdi, Hinjewadi and Wagholi. Any change to fee rules or the centralised admission process will affect lakhs of applicants who take MHT-CET and other state entrance tests.
For now, nothing has changed:
- Fees for the current year remain as fixed by the FRA.
- Admission rules for 2027-28 are not yet announced.
- The GR does not say whether the public can send suggestions.
If you want to follow the process, watch the websites of the State CET Cell and the FRA for any draft or notice inviting comments.
What is still not known
The specific changes proposed by the three bodies have not been made public. It is also not clear whether the revised law will be placed before the legislature in the coming session.
We will update this story once the committee submits its draft or the government publishes it. More updates are in our Education section and our story on Sinhgad schools, another fee and salary dispute in Pune.
Frequently asked questions
Which law is Maharashtra revising for professional courses?
The Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, which governs admissions and fees in private professional colleges.
Who heads the committee to revise the 2015 Act?
Retired Principal Secretary Rajendra Bhagwat chairs the seven-member committee formed by a GR dated 6 November 2026.
When will the committee submit its report?
It has been asked to submit a draft Act and rules within 10 days of the GR.
Will college fees change this year?
No change has been announced. Current fees remain as fixed by the Fee Regulatory Authority until any new rules are notified.
