Bihar’s fee waiver policy to boost PG enrolment stuck since start in 2015

On February 3, 2015, the Bihar government took a policy decision to provide free education to all girl students as well as those belonging to SC and ST up to post-graduation level

On February 3, 2015, the Bihar government took a policy decision to provide free education to all girl students as well as those belonging to SC and ST up to post-graduation level.

Patna University in Bihar (HT File)

This meant no fees would be charged from the students of identified categories and the government would reimburse the financial loss to institutions. It was then said the move would cost the state exchequer about ₹29 crore annually and benefit nearly 4.05 lakh students in the three categories spread across 262 constituent colleges, including 28 girls’ colleges.

The move was necessitated by the finding that enrolment of the three categories in PG had dropped significantly.

More than six years later, none of the girls’ institutions, except Patna University once, has been reimbursed the fees to meet their recurring expenses. Some of the institutions that tried to take fee in anticipation of reimbursement have landed in legal wrangle, with the Patna High Court asking the government to return the fee amount to the students, some of whom had moved court.

“The principal secretary, department of education, shall ascertain information with regard to disbursement of the amount recovered from the students from the three categories provided freeship and file his personal affidavit stating the latest position. He shall immediately convene a meeting of vice chancellors of all universities and ensure that the fee illegally recovered is refunded to the students forthwith,” said the bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sanjay Kumar in July.

After that, additional chief secretary (education) Sanjay Kumar held a meeting with the V-Cs to gather information on the issue. “We have reimbursed ₹6 crore to Patna University once, but it has not happened for other universities. We can reimburse only if there is claim presented in the prescribed format. We have asked the V-Cs to submit their claims,” he said.

The problem of reimbursement had started surfacing the very first year after the colleges started charging fee on the pretext that it would be refunded on getting funds form the government. Many college principals had then sought reimbursement from their respective universities also, but things remained unattended.

“After all, colleges have various recurring expenses and they cannot wait for reimbursement from the government, which has not happened even once in six years. With admission fee and tuition fee structure of 1952, the colleges hardly earn enough revenue to manage the recurring costs on library, laboratory, cleanliness, electricity and telephone bills,” said the principal of a college in Patna who did not want to be identified.

A senior official said there was no reason why one university would be reimbursed, and others not. “The problem is that the universities are not sending claims as it should be. For reimbursement, details of students availing waiver with fees are required. Many colleges submitted overall figures, without details. The government has made the policy and it will certainly reimburse, as it happened in the case of PU,” he said.

Headline: Aiming higher in education

Intro: Policy was aimed at providing free education to all girl students and SC and ST students up to PG level

Cost to state exchequer annually:  ₹29 crore

Number of intended beneficiaries: 4.05 lakh

Constituent colleges with PG course: 262

Number of girls’ colleges: 28

Lone reimbursement so far: ₹6 crore