DTU students want fee waivers, admin cites running costs

University officials, however, said they cannot reduce the fee and pointed out that they are already giving fee concessions in genuine cases.

Several students of Delhi Technological University (DTU) have expressed concerns over paying the full annual fee of ₹2.06 lakh due to financial hardships arising out of Covid-19 pandemic and requested the administration to waive off several components of the fee which “will not be used by students”.

The students have also requested the university administration to provide concessions on humanitarian grounds. (Picture for representation only/HT)

University officials, however, said they cannot reduce the fee and pointed out that they are already giving fee concessions in genuine cases.

Many students protested last year as well, when the annual fee was ₹1.90 lakh, but the university did not reduce the fee. In 2019-20, students had to pay a yearly fee of ₹1.66 lakh.

On August 19, the university released a notice for second-year students to pay their annual fee by September 22, failing which they would be required to pay a late fee. While first-year students are yet to join the university, most third- and fourth-year students have already paid their fee.

A group of students have submitted multiple memorandums to the university administration.

“With all such difficulties (due to the pandemic) faced by students and their parents and as the future looks uncertain and grim, it becomes nearly impossible for us to pay such exorbitant fees. And given the campus has remained closed for more than a year now, and classes are continuing online, students shouldn’t be charged the full fees,” the students wrote in the letter sent to multiple officials, including the Registrar and Dean of Students’ Welfare, on Saturday.

The students have proposed waiving off several fee components – student welfare fee, extracurricular activities, facilities and service charges, examination fee, facilities, fests, gathering, and conferences.

Anup Lather, public relations officer of the university, said that the university cannot reduce the fee, and added that the administration already offered concessions for those who approached the university with “genuine causes” like Covid-19 deaths in the family, among other reasons.

“There has been no fee hike as such and this fee structure was mentioned in the prospectus at the time of the admission... We cannot reduce the fee because only classes have moved online. Other expenditures like employee salaries, maintenance of university, setting up a new hostel and student centre – all of these things are still going on.”