DU executive council opposes loan proposal

Objections to a proposal to divert a significant portion of the University Development Fund (UDF) built from student tuition fees, towards infrastructure projects.

Several members of Delhi University’s (DU) Executive Council (EC), a top decision making body of DU, on Saturday objected to a proposal which was approved by the council regarding the diversion of a significant portion of the University Development Fund (UDF) built from student tuition fees, towards infrastructure projects.

Several members of DU’s Executive Council (EC) opposes to loan proposals. (File Photo)

Rajpal Singh Pawar, an EC member, submitted a dissenting note mainly against two key proposals: one to spend ₹46.5 crore from the UDF for new constructions, and another to take a ₹938.33 crore loan from the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). Pawar argued that these moves would burden students with fee hikes and demanded that the EC push for stronger funding from the University Grants Commission (UGC) instead.

“Its a matter of grave concern that there is a huge deficit between the UGC grant and our expenditure in 2024-25, even under salary head. We are opposed to financing these deficits from the internal receipts of the university, as it will shift burden on students fees and increase privatisation,” said Pawar in his dissent note, as seen by HT.

DU registrar Vikas Gupta clarified on the issue and said that the university has no fund shortage and 90% of loan from HEFA will be paid by the government itself. “We have sufficient funds, the university has to pay only 10% of the loan in 20 installments over the period of ten years, the rest will be paid by the government,” said Gupta.

Regarding the UDF fund utilisation, Gupta said that funds from UDF have been used towards infrastructure projects for a long time. “Funds from UDF have been used since 2009, this is not something new, whenever need has arisen, the university has withdrawn from it,” said Gupta

Another DU faculty said that utilisation of significant amounts from UDF for construction purposes is akin to selling ‘family jewels’. “UDF is passed down years after years and only used in the matter of exigency, using a significant amount of it for construction purposes only depletes university’s financial cushion,” the faculty said on the condition of anonymity.

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