The state of Maharashtra has implemented a 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in private medical colleges starting from the 2025-26 academic year. This decision was announced by the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell in July 2025 through the release of the information brochure for undergraduate medical admissions. The move is as it extends the EWS quota, previously applicable mainly to government institutions, to private unaided medical colleges. However, this change has raised concerns among students, parents, and colleges due to the lack of prior consultation and its potential impact on seat availability.
What Is The EWS Reservation?
The EWS quota is a provision to reserve seats or jobs for economically disadvantaged individuals from the general or forward caste category. To qualify, a candidate’s family income must not exceed Rs 8 lakh per annum. This quota excludes Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), who already benefit from separate reservations. The EWS reservation was introduced by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment in 2019. It allows states to make special provisions for EWS candidates in educational institutions, including private colleges, except minority institutions.
Details Of Maharashtra CET 2025-26 Notification
According to the Maharashtra CET brochure, 10 per cent of the state quota seats in government, government-aided, corporation, and private unaided medical colleges will be reserved for EWS candidates. This aligns with Article 15(6)(b) of the Constitution. The quota applies only to non-minority institutions. The announcement came as a surprise to many stakeholders as it was made without prior stakeholder engagement. The policy aims to promote inclusivity for economically weaker students within the general category.
Impact On Seat Availability And Competition
Maharashtra has 22 private medical colleges offering about 3,120 seats under the general category. The introduction of a 10 per cent EWS quota will reduce these general category seats by nearly 300. Unlike government colleges, where seat intake was increased to accommodate EWS reservation, private colleges face uncertainty about additional seats. This reduction in open merit seats may increase competition and raise admission cut-offs. Parents and representatives have expressed concerns about the financial implications and fairness of seat allocation.
Challenges In Increasing Seat Capacity
The National Medical Commission (NMC) regulates student intake in medical colleges. While government colleges received permission for increased intake in 2019 to implement EWS reservation, private colleges must seek NMC approval to expand seats. Maharashtra’s government has not indicated plans to approach the NMC for this purpose. Without additional seats, private colleges must accommodate EWS candidates within the existing capacity, affecting general category aspirants. Recent court rulings in other states have brought into light the need for seat increases when implementing EWS quotas in private institutions.
Financial And Regulatory Concerns
The fee structure of private medical colleges is regulated by the Fee Regulatory Authority based on audited income and expenditure. The reduction of general category seats and introduction of EWS reservations may alter the colleges’ expected fee income. This could lead to revisions in fee structures or introduction of new fee heads. Parents worry about potential fee hikes and the transparency of such changes. The policy’s implementation details remain under scrutiny as stakeholders seek clarity.
Questions for UPSC:
- Discuss in the light of reservation policies, the socio-economic impacts of introducing Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quotas in private educational institutions in India.
- Analyse the role of the National Medical Commission (NMC) in regulating medical education in India. How does regulatory approval affect policy implementation in private medical colleges?
- Taking examples of Maharashtra and other states, critically discuss the challenges and implications of expanding reservation policies without increasing overall seat capacity in higher education.
- Examine the relationship between fee regulation in private educational institutions and reservation policies. How can fee structures impact access to education for economically weaker sections?
