Maharashtra drought: exam fees waived for over 82,000 Class 10, 12 students in Latur

The Maharashtra government has waived examination fees for 82,074 Class 10 and Class 12 students in Latur district, a move implemented as part of broader drought relief efforts across the state. This directive, issued by the Latur Zilla Parshad’s education department, ensures that students appearing for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations in February-March 2027 will not have to pay these fees.

The fee exemption covers approximately 74 percent of Maharashtra’s talukas, specifically 265 out of 358, which have been declared drought-affected due to poor rainfall this year. The entire Latur district has been included in this declaration by the state government, aiming to alleviate the financial burden on families and support students’ continued education.

Beneficiaries in Latur District

In Latur district, a total of 82,074 students are set to benefit from the examination fee waiver. This includes 47,555 Class 10 students and 34,519 Class 12 students. Latur tehsil accounts for the highest number of beneficiaries within the district.

The distribution of beneficiaries across Latur’s tehsils highlights the widespread impact of the drought within the district. Headmasters have been directed not to collect examination fees from these eligible students.

State-Wide Drought Relief Measures

The fee waiver is a direct consequence of the Devendra Fadnavis government declaring drought in 265 tehsils across Maharashtra. This decision, announced by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) on October 1, 2026, follows a government resolution dated September 25, 2026, which outlined various concessions for drought-hit areas. The exemption applies to students appearing for the SSC and HSC examinations in all these affected talukas.

Divisional units of the board have been instructed to accept online applications without collecting examination fees from eligible students. The government resolution also included exemption from examination fees as a special provision to support residents in these drought-hit regions. The Higher and Technical Education Department is set to establish a separate cell at the Directorate of Higher Education, with action committees to be formed at each university level.

Examination Schedule and Fee Reimbursement

The Maharashtra Board Class 10 (SSC) exams for 2027 are scheduled from February 15 to March 11, 2027, while the Class 12 (HSC) exams are set to take place from February 8 to March 16, 2027. This fee exemption covers both these examination cycles. Instructions have been given to schools and junior colleges in drought-affected talukas not to collect examination fees from students and to fill online application forms accordingly.

For students who may have already paid their fees, the state board will issue detailed instructions regarding the reimbursement process. The state government plans to prepare a system to reimburse fees directly into the bank accounts of students from drought-hit areas, including charges for practical tests. Bank details of students, along with their village and revenue code, will be collected for this purpose.

Further reading

• Maharashtra Class 10, 12 exam fees waived for 82,074 students in drought-hit areas
• Maharashtra waives Class 10, 12 exam fees for 82,074 students in Latur
• Maharashtra board waives exam fees for Class 10, 12 students in 265 drought-hit talukas
• Nanded university waives winter-2026 exam fees for students from drought-hit talukas

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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