India, Aug. 30 -- For the first time, the State Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) has decided to conduct surprise inspections of professional colleges across Maharashtra from October onwards. The move comes after a surge in complaints from students and parents about colleges overcharging fees and providing false information in their proposals.

The FRA regulates the fee structure for more than 4,000 professional colleges in the state, including those offering courses in engineering, medicine, pharmacy, and management. These courses often charge fees that run into several lakhs, and colleges are required to submit detailed proposals with information about their infrastructure, professors, educational facilities, and financial documents to jus...