Mumbai University has directed its affiliated and autonomous colleges to immediately refund examination fees in full to eligible students from 305 drought-affected talukas in Maharashtra, following the state government’s decision to provide fee relief for students affected by drought during the 2026 kharif season.
The university issued the directive in a circular on Friday, October 16, instructing colleges to begin refunding examination fees already paid by eligible students from the same day. Students who meet the eligibility criteria but have not yet paid their examination fees must not be charged for the relevant examinations, the university said.
The decision extends the state government’s examination fee relief measure to students enrolled in colleges affiliated with Mumbai University, as well as those studying in autonomous institutions covered by the university’s instructions. The relief applies across faculties, with colleges required to use the list of institutions located in designated drought-affected talukas.
Under the instructions, principals must personally monitor the refund process and ensure that each eligible student receives the full amount paid towards examination fees. Colleges have also been told to maintain records of refunds by faculty and by individual student.
Once the process is completed, the colleges must submit a compliance report to the university’s Board of Examinations and Evaluation. The university has instructed institutions to implement the order promptly and stressed that no eligible student’s refund should remain pending.
For students who have not paid the examination fee, the university has provided a separate process to prevent the charge from being included. While filling examination forms, students or colleges must select the “Drought Affected Talukars” category wherever the option is available on the examination portal. Colleges must ensure that the category is correctly recorded so that the examination fee is excluded from the calculation of mandatory fees.
The circular does not specify a separate deadline for completing refunds, but it directs colleges to start the process immediately and report compliance after the exercise is completed. The responsibility for implementation has therefore been placed on individual affiliated and autonomous colleges, with principals assigned oversight of student-level records and refunds.
The university said it initiated the process in accordance with the Maharashtra government’s official decision on examination fee relief for students from drought-affected areas. The state decision followed the declaration of 305 talukas as drought-affected in view of conditions during the 2026 kharif season.
The fee waiver and refund mechanism is intended to ensure that students from the designated areas receive the full benefit of the state relief decision, whether they have already paid examination fees or are yet to submit them. Colleges have been instructed to follow the guidelines strictly and complete the required reporting to the university’s examination authorities.
