Political Ties in Nearly Half of Maharashtra's Private Homeopathy Colleges

Data released by the National Commission for Homeopathy (NCH) reveals a significant overlap between private homeopathy medical education and political interests in Maharashtra. Out of 72 private homeopathy colleges in the state, at least 34 — nearly 47% — are established by trusts or societies with political connections spanning various parties. These institutions provide approximately 3,000 seats, which is close to half of the total homeopathy seats available in the state.

The NCH, which regulates homeopathy education in India, published the status of permissions and denials for the academic year 2026-27 as on August 3. According to this data, Maharashtra has 74 homeopathy medical colleges, including two government-run institutions, with a total undergraduate intake capacity of 6,248 seats. One college offers only postgraduate seats. This year, three new colleges were added — two private and one government college in Kolhapur — each with an intake of 100 students.

The growth in the number of colleges has not been matched by a corresponding increase in seats. In 2021, there were 59 colleges with 4,645 undergraduate seats. Today, with 74 colleges, the total seats have risen by less than 140. Many colleges did not receive permission for intake for the 2026 academic session, while others had their intake reduced. The reasons cited include infrastructure deficiencies, ghost faculty, forged documents, and other regulatory violations.

For a large number of students, admission to an Ayush or homeopathy college is not their first choice but a fallback option. Over 22 lakh candidates appear for the NEET UG examination each year, but only around 1.2 lakh MBBS seats are available. Many students who cannot secure an affordable MBBS seat in a government college and cannot afford the high fees of private medical colleges turn to homeopathy. They hope to become doctors, even if the degree is in homeopathy. Some also aim to practice a limited form of allopathy, despite the legal restrictions, and many do so informally. The one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) allows homeopathy graduates to take up government jobs in the public health system. Additionally, many are employed in modern medicine hospitals, where they are hired at lower salaries compared to MBBS graduates.

The economics of homeopathy colleges makes them an attractive investment. Excluding land costs, setting up a homeopathy college requires an estimated investment of about Rs 15 crore — roughly a tenth of the cost of starting an MBBS college. This has led many, including MBBS doctors, to establish Ayush colleges as a profitable business.

The profitability of these colleges depends on filling seats. This is why, since NEET UG became mandatory for admission to Ayush colleges in 2018, private colleges have lobbied and approached courts seeking a lowering of the NEET UG cut-off percentile. In 2021-22, the Ayush Ministry reduced the NEET UG percentile criteria by 5% across all categories: the General/EWS cut-off was lowered from the 50th to the 45th percentile, and OBC/SC/ST from the 40th to the 35th percentile. A similar reduction was made in 2018-19 to fill vacant seats. For example, in Madhya Pradesh, around 40% of seats in private Ayush colleges were vacant in 2018-19 before the cut-off was reduced.

Annual tuition fees for homeopathy colleges in Maharashtra generally range from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.25 lakh. Taking an average fee of Rs 1.5 lakh per student and an average batch size of 80, a college can collect around Rs 1.2 crore from a single batch. With four enrolled batches, the revenue amounts to about Rs 4.8 crore, excluding additional charges such as hostel, mess, and examination fees.

The high proportion of politically connected colleges raises questions about the governance and quality of homeopathy education in Maharashtra. With nearly half of the private institutions linked to political interests, there are concerns about whether regulatory oversight is being compromised. Prospective students and their families may need to examine the background and compliance record of these colleges carefully before seeking admission.