AURANGABAD: More people may turn up to pose as draped, nude and semi-nude models for students of fine arts colleges now that the Maharashtra government has announced an almost three-fold rise in their honorarium.Nude models , who used to get Rs 300 for a full-day session, will now earn Rs 1,000; while those posing as semi-nude models will get Rs 600 per day as against Rs 250. Draped models will get Rs 400, the double of what they earned earlier. The rates were last fixed in February 2011. The new rates will come into effect from this academic session.Fine arts students, who pursue courses in painting and applied arts, have sessions to draw life models as a part of their curriculum. Colleges had said the "meagre" rates were a hurdle in getting life models to pose for sessions.Govind Pawar, officiating dean of Government Art College, Aurangabad, told TOI on Wednesday that finding life models was near impossible."Drawing sessions last for six hours. Posing as a model for so long requires patience, as the model has to remain still for long stretches," Pawar said. "We've almost given up the practice of getting nude life models for drawing sessions as nobody is willing to undress for a pittance, even if it's for the sake of art," he added.Finding semi-nude or even draped models proves tough. "Even daily wagers refuse to pose as draped models because they get so little. Sometimes, our students request their friends to pose. But such a selection often compromises on the basics laid down for choosing life models, in terms of physique and other features," he said.Colleges often use statues, said Anupama Patil, principal of Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Fine Arts in Pune. "These drawing sessions are an integral part of syllabuses. The revised honorarium will be of great use to students," she said.Maharashtra has around a dozen fine arts colleges, including four government-run colleges - two in Mumbai and one each in Nagpur and Aurangabad. Besides, the state has over 150 colleges that offer diploma courses.A senior official from the state higher and technical education department said the honorarium is in tune with inflation. "We've revised these rates to avoid academic loss being incurred by students due to non-availability of life models," he said.