3 min readPuneApr 9, 2026 09:28 PM ISTPrincipals of autonomous colleges under SPPU express concern over the lack of clarity regarding grant-in-aid status and scholarship eligibility for the newly introduced four-year undergraduate programme (File Photo)As the guidelines were released late, autonomous colleges have not been able to counsel students on the pros and cons of opting for the four-year UG programme. The guidelines were expected to provide clarity to both colleges and students; however, important questions—regarding grant-in-aid, scholarships, and class sizes—still remain unanswered. The Indian Express spoke to heads of autonomous colleges affiliated to the Savitirbai Phule Pune University (SPPU) to understand their concerns.Professor Sanjay Kharat, principal, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, told The Indian Express, “There are two issues that are not clear. The first is whether the four-year programme will be a grant-in-aid programme. The second issue is whether the students who take admissions in fourth year are eligible for getting scholarship from the social welfare department or any other scholarship that is given through the MahaDBT portal.”He added, “Students who have completed three years of UG programme are eligible for getting an admission into a two-year masters programme. If, unfortunately, the fourth year is kept as non-grant, then the fee structure will increase almost two to three times as compared to a granted course. The student will then prefer to go for the regular masters course instead of paying a huge fee for the fourth year.”According to internal surveys at his college, Kharat says 20-25 per cent of students are interested in opting for the four-year programme.Professor Avinash Moharail, principal of Sir Parashurambhau College (SP) College, opined that due to the guidelines declaring that the fourth year will not be considered ‘natural growth’, the year will not be grant-in-aid. “So our first problem is how much will the fee be for that particular course? Because if the course is a grant-in-aid course, then students pay approximately Rs 6,000-10,000 as fee. But if it goes to the non-grant section, then that fee rises to Rs 40,000,” he said.“Secondly, if we want to get scholarship benefits for that course, then that fee is to be fixed by fee fixation committee of the university. And then we will go for mapping of that fee with the social welfare department so that students will be able to fill the forms of scholarship as they do for first year, second year, third year. So that is to be decided,” he added.According to the guidelines, the UG Honours with Research degree will only be approved at colleges with a dedicated PhD research centre. Five students per PhD guide have been allowed for this course. On this, Prof Kharat said, “In the last 10-15 years, there has been no recruitment. Research guides have either retired or superannuated, hardly one or two are left. With 10 students we cannot run the programme because the other fees and salary to be given to the teacher cannot be covered. The fee will increase three to four times.”Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... 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