The Maharashtra state government is set to launch a centralized system through the Admissions Regulating Authority (ARA) portal to assist students applying to overseas universities. This initiative comes in response to rising fraud cases where students have been misled by agents about admissions to foreign institutions. The ARA portal will feature verified information on the top 500 universities globally, as ranked by the QS World University Rankings, and will include details on course options, admission procedures, eligibility criteria, and necessary documentation. Each year, approximately 70,000 students from Maharashtra pursue undergraduate and postgraduate programs abroad, often relying on private consultancies that may promote lesser-known universities. The new platform aims to provide reliable information and enable students to submit applications directly. The initiative was discussed in a recent inter-departmental meeting and is expected to be rolled out as early as January, potentially at no cost to students in Maharashtra. Additionally, the portal will help the government maintain a database of students studying abroad, aiding in emergency response efforts during crises.