Engineering students in Maharashtra’s govt colleges to get ₹16k fee discount for 2021-22

State minister for higher and technical education Uday Samant on Thursday announced a rebate of ₹16,250 to engineering students from government-aided institutes for not using the library, gymkhana and other facilities on campus as students have not attended physical classes in over a year, as per a press statement

State minister for higher and technical education Uday Samant on Thursday announced a rebate of ₹16,250 to engineering students from government-aided institutes for not using the library, gymkhana and other facilities on campus as students have not attended physical classes in over a year, as per a press statement.

Exam answer sheet or application paper blurry view on table in examination room with blur education background of school university students taking exam test writing answer in seat row with stress (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“Students admitted to government and government-aided autonomous engineering institutes have to pay fees other than tuition fees. These students did not use the library, gymkhana and other educational facilities as they were not present in the college due to Covid lockdown, so they should not be charged for the same,” Samant said in the press statement.

“Considering the problems of students and parents in the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, it has been decided to give a discount of ₹16,250 to students,” he said.

The amount will be deducted from fees that students will be charged for the 2021-22 academic year. This decision will benefit nearly 20,000 students across the state, the minister announced.

Announced late Thursday evening, the decision came after a meeting between Samant, the principal secretary of the department of higher and technical education, the director of the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) and college professors.

For the past year, several student groups have made similar demands from the University of Mumbai as well, asking the varsity to direct all affiliated institutes to not charge fees for facilities not used by students in over a year. The University instructed colleges to follow this rule in 2020-21 but for the new academic year, no such statement has been released by the authorities yet.