AICTE may fix minimum fee limit for technical colleges

The committee had fixed the maximum fee for a two-year MBA course at ₹1.57 lakh to ₹1.71 lakh per annum, and for a four-year engineering degree (BE or BTech), the maximum fees was fixed at ₹1.44 lakh to ₹1.58 lakh annually.

More than six years after the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) put a cap on the maximum fees private technical institutes could charge students, the regulatory body is likely to come up with a minimum fee threshold from the 2022-23 academic session, officials familiar with the matter said.

There had been a demand by private colleges for a minimum fee limit for technical courses, AICTE chairperson Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe said. (Agencies/Representative use)

In 2015, a government-appointed committee headed by former Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna had recommended putting a cap on the tuition fees, following which the AICTE had directed all state governments to implement the recommendation at all private institutes with technical courses, including engineering and MBA.

The committee had fixed the maximum fee for a two-year MBA course at ₹1.57 lakh to ₹1.71 lakh per annum, and for a four-year engineering degree (BE or BTech), the maximum fees was fixed at ₹1.44 lakh to ₹1.58 lakh annually. A maximum limit was similarly set for other courses including MCA and hotel management.

However, there was no mention of the minimum fee, due to which several states, including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, had put a cap at ₹30,000 to ₹40,000 for private colleges.

There had been a demand by private colleges for a minimum fee limit for technical courses, AICTE chairperson Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe said.

“The colleges in some parts of the country were finding it difficult to maintain the infrastructure, procure equipment and pay faculty salaries,” he said. “The quality of education was suffering. Some colleges and associations even moved to their respective high courts demanding a minimum limit with the upper limit.”

The justice Srikrishna Committee was asked to revisit the norms and fix a lower limit for fees as well, Sahasrabudhe said.

“The committee has submitted its report. It has been shared with stakeholders for wider consultation. The council is reviewing suggestions and finalizing norms,” he said. “Once finalised, the council will fix a lower fee limit for all technical colleges and no state will be allowed to force any college to charge below that.”

The new rules will be implemented from the upcoming 2022-23 academic session, he said.

While AICTE officials did not mention the recommended minimum fee limit, people familiar with the development in the ministry of education said that it will likely between ₹70,000 and ₹75,000 a year. “The recommendations are still being reviewed,” an official said, requesting anonymity.

Under the new norms, the upper limit is also likely to increase slightly. “It has been six years since the last time the maximum fee was fixed. So, it may also be revised slightly,” said another AICTE official, also declining be named.

There are over 6,500 private technical institutions affiliated to the AICTE.