Nearly half of Maharashtra's private homeopathy colleges linked to political trusts

Data from the National Commission for Homeopathy shows that out of 72 private homeopathy colleges in Maharashtra, at least 34—about 47%—are operated by trusts or societies that have political connections across parties, providing nearly 3,000 of the state's homeopathy seats. The commission lists 74 colleges, including two government institutions, with a total intake of 6,248 for the 2026-27 academic year, though several colleges received reduced or denied seats because of infrastructure flaws, ghost faculty or forged documents.

Enrollment in these colleges has risen only modestly since 2021, as many students turn to homeopathy programs after failing to secure affordable MBBS places in government schools, given the limited MBBS seats versus the large number of NEET examinees. The lower cost of establishing a homeopathy college—about Rs 15 crore excluding land—makes it an attractive business, prompting operators to lobby annually for lower NEET percentile thresholds, a practice the Ayush Ministry has accommodated multiple times. A senior member of the Indian Medical Association, formerly with the Maharashtra Medical Council, argues that political influence prevents the closure of substandard institutions and fuels proposals to let homeopathy graduates prescribe allopathic drugs, further driving admissions.