The Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday passed an ordinance, reducing fees in all schools by 15 per cent thereby providing relief to lakhs of students. The decision has been taken due to the ongoing pandemic. Speaking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said the government has taken the step following demands from parents as most of the teaching is being conducted online. The order will be implemented for this academic year. She added that there is a discussion on reducing syllabus from classes I to XII by 25 per cent because of the pandemic and online learning. Apart from schools, the Maharashtra government has set up a committee to study the issue of fees charged by colleges too. The state fee regulatory authority will submit its recommendations within a month after studying the fees charged by universities and government-run as well as aided-unaided colleges for conventional and professional courses.
