BAMU 2026 exam fee waiver for drought-hit students in 282 talukas

The Maharashtra government has approved a complete waiver of examination fees for students enrolled in higher and technical education institutions across 282 disaster-hit talukas in the state. This decision, applicable for the academic year 2025–26, was taken by the higher and technical education department on February 14, 2026, and is intended to provide relief to students affected by natural disasters and drought-like conditions.

Students in non-agricultural universities, examination boards, and affiliated colleges under the jurisdiction of the higher and technical education department are eligible for this waiver. All universities and colleges have been instructed to implement the decision immediately, with the director of higher education tasked with ensuring adequate financial provisions for the scheme’s implementation.

Waiver for Higher Education and Disaster-Affected Regions

The examination fee waiver for higher education students follows the declaration of several talukas as disaster-affected due to severe rainfall and floods during 2025. Drought-like relief norms were considered for these regions based on recommendations by the revenue and forest department. This relief is expected to significantly impact areas including Pune, Konkan, and western Maharashtra.

Specific talukas covered by the relief include Haveli and Indapur in Pune district, and Kalwan, Deola, Igatpuri, Malegaon, Niphad, Nandgaon, Satana, Dindori, Surgana, Trimbakeshwar, Peth, Sinnar, Chandwad, and Yeola in Nashik district. The state experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall last year, leading to crop losses, property destruction, and loss of life. Previous government relief measures included land revenue concessions, restructuring of cooperative loans, a one-year moratorium on agricultural loan recovery, electricity bill waivers, and fee concessions for students of classes 10 and 12, with the higher education fee waiver being pending until the latest government resolution.

SSC and HSC Exam Fee Waiver for Drought-Affected Talukas

Separately, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has instructed its divisional boards not to collect examination fees from students in 265 drought-affected talukas for the upcoming February-March 2027 SSC and HSC examinations. This directive, communicated via a letter from state board secretary Dr. Deepak Mali to divisional secretaries, is based on a government decision to waive examination fees for school and college students in these regions, as outlined in a Government Resolution (GR) from the Relief and Rehabilitation Department dated September 25, 2026.

Schools and junior colleges have been instructed to fill application forms for the February-March 2027 exams without collecting examination fees until further orders. The responsibility for verifying that students are eligible beneficiaries from drought-affected talukas rests with the respective schools and junior colleges. These institutions are also required to submit a report on putting in place this decision to the state board immediately.

Previous Delays and Fees for Board Exams

Earlier, a government resolution (GR) dated October 10, 2026, had assured fee waivers for SSC and HSC students from flood-affected areas of Marathwada and other parts of the state. However, Prashant Sathe stated that the MSBSHSE allegedly failed to take necessary action regarding this GR, noting, “Even two weeks after the Oct 10 GR, the state board failed to ratify the govt resolve to offer a fee waiver. It is like rubbing salt in the wounds of a rain-hit population.”

MSBSHSE chairman Sharad Gosavi had stated that fresh instructions were expected from the school education department to offer the fee waiver, explaining, “Even though the revenue department issued a GR, the school education department needs to issue a separate GR. No doubt SSC and HSC students will get a fee waiver, but we are waiting for formal instructions.” Approximately 30 lakh students appear for the board examinations every year, with around 15.7 lakh SSC students and 12.7 lakh HSC students having filed applications for the board examinations through their schools and junior colleges. The state board charges around Rs 520 for SSC examination fees and approximately Rs 660 for HSC examination fees. Concerns about implementation have been raised, with Tukaram Saraf noting that “The fee waiver offered in Marathwada during the drought of 2016 failed to reach each and every beneficiary student due to technical issues associated with bank accounts. Taking lessons from past mistakes, authorities must take corrective measures now.”

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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Further reading

• Nanded university waives winter-2026 exam fees for students from drought-hit talukas
• Maharashtra board waives exam fees for Class 10, 12 students in 265 drought-hit talukas