E-Paper
Panjab University senate okays fee hike for campus, affiliated colleges
Panjab University had last increased the fee in the 2019-20 academic session and thereon, deferred any hike indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic
In a major decision, the Panjab University (PU) senate on Tuesday approved the proposed fee hike in its teaching departments, regional centres and affiliated colleges for the 2022-23 session.
The senate – PU’s apex governing body – during its meeting approved the recommendations of two committees that had proposed the hike in fee for students of the varsity campus and its affiliated colleges.
However, the hike will not apply to students belonging to SC/ST and EWS categories.
The varsity had last increased the fee in the 2019-20 academic session and thereon, deferred any hike indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As per the recommendations of the panel, which were approved by the senate, a 7.5% increase will be implemented for the new entrants in campus’ partially self-financed courses, with a cap of ₹7,500, and a 5% enhancement in the subsequent years. A 5% increase in fee will be implemented for students of the ongoing batches.
A ₹1,000 hike ( ₹500 hike in tuition fee and ₹500 development fund) will be implemented for the new entrants in campus’ traditional courses. Also, there will be a 5% hike in tuition fee in the subsequent years. Moreover, a 5% enhancement in fee will be implemented for the students of ongoing batches as well.
The fee hike, however, was met with opposition by some senators. Senator Ravinder Singh Dhaliwal, who is a research scholar at PU, said the decision should be reconsidered: “Prior discussion with the student bodies should take place before these decisions are taken.”
Students For Society (SFS), through a statement, also opposed the fee hike, which it said will additionally burden the students.
The fee hikes over the past years have never gone down well with students. In 2017, a protest over fee hike at the varsity had turned violent after students clashed with police, who in turn had used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
10% hike for affiliated colleges
The PU senate also gave a nod to the proposed fee hike for the 2022-2023 session in all affiliated colleges of the university to a maximum of 10% with a cap of ₹1,000, as recommended by a varsity panel.
Besides the hike in tuition fee, the senate also approved a 10% increase in the examination fee and other related charges for undergraduate, postgraduate and professional examination courses for the 2022-23 session.
The increase, having a cap of ₹1,000, will also apply to fee for entrance exam, reevaluation/rechecking, confidential results, reissue of degree, among others.
