Charging capitation fee or failure of educational institutions to keep promises could attract imprisonment up to three years for guilty administrators or fine up to Rs 50 lakh for the institute.

A Group of Ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, on Friday gave its approval to a HRD Ministry's bill that stipulates severe punishment for administrators and institutions for any type of malpractice.

The Bill to check malpractices in educational institutions, seeks to consider such practices as criminal or civil offences depending on the nature of the crime.

"The GoM approved the bill with minor changes. Now it will again go to the Cabinet and later to the Parliament," a HRD Ministry official said.

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal made presentation on the proposed bill before the GoM.

Apart from Pawar and Sibal, the other members of the GoM are Defence Minister A K Antony, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Law Minister Veerappa Moily and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Alhuwalia.