Mumbai: The state government has announced new regulations for postgraduate diploma in management (PGDM) courses, marking the first time these programs will be subject to government oversight. A recent notification mandates that admissions to PGDM courses will now be based on a centralized entrance exam administered by the state’s CET cell. Additionally, the fees charged by management institutes will be monitored and regulated by the Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA). These changes aim to standardize admissions and fee structures in the state’s management education sector.
There are nearly 70 institutes in the state offering PGDM courses approved by All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), with a combined intake of around 15,000 seats. The fees are usually higher than MBA/MMS programmes offered by private institutions in the state and above Rs 15 lakh in many cases for the entire duration of the course. We have already issued a notification to bring them under these two regulatory bodies from 2027-28,” said the official. Even most IIMs charge fees of over Rs 20 lakh.
A state govt official said PGDM courses are by definition professional courses, are regulated by AICTE and should, therefore, have been included in Maharashtra Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions) and Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Act, 2015. Because of the autonomy they enjoy, “There are over 300 such standalone institutions in the country and many are doing exceptionally well. Because of the flexibility and autonomy it offers, “A few institutes have discontinued their MBA programmes to focus exclusively on PGDM.
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The official said such institutions were initially kept outside the regulatory framework on technical grounds related to the duration of the courses. An official from one of the institutions said the move would curtail their ability to grow into world-class management institutes. Another institute official said private and foreign universities operating in the country attract faculty by offering competitive salaries.
Institutions such as LN Welingkar, NL Dalmia, Chetana’s Institute of Management and Research, SIES and MET offer PGDM courses across multiple specialisations. These courses, which are equivalent to MBA/MMS, have so far been offered by management institutes that operated autonomously, with the freedom to conduct their own admissions and determine course fees. Many of these courses are run by standalone management institutions. a few focus only on PGDM courses While some institutions also offer an MBA/MMS programme. “There is no reason for excluding such institutes. The fees approved by FRA for MBA/MMS programmes are barely adequate and may not be sufficient to provide quality education, attract good faculty and invest in the resources required to build world-class management institutes. Such regulatory controls may not help the institutions in the long term and are likely to be challenged. Download the TOI App.