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HRD considers asking IITs not to hike fees this year
Several of the IITs, whom HT spoke to, appeared open to the idea though they said they were yet to receive any intimation in this regard.
The premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) may not hike their fees in the upcoming academic year as the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry is considering requesting them to take this step keeping in mind the extraordinary situation due to the COVID-19.
Several of the IITs, whom HT spoke to, appeared open to the idea though they said they were yet to receive any intimation in this regard.
IIT Delhi said it had decided to not hike the fees for its post graduate courses.
“There is a view in the HRD ministry that premier institutions can step forward and take decisions which will benefit the student community as a whole. There is a view in the ministry that being premier institutions, the IITs should try not to hike fees. There have been discussions on this and the ministry could request the IITs to not implement a fee hike this year,” said a government official.
The decision for the fees of the undergraduate courses are taken jointly in the IIT council, which is headed by HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank while individual IITs take a call on the fee structure of other courses they offer.
“The matter is at present in the discussion stage,” said another top official in the HRD ministry.
Meanwhile, some the IITs were already doing their own thinking in this regard.
“IIT Delhi will not be increasing any fee this year. We will maintain 2019 fee structure,” said Prof V Ramgopal Rao, director of the premier institute referring to the post-graduate courses.
IIT Bombay Director Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri said his institute will go by the decision of the IIT council. “Whatever the IIT council decides, we will follow,” said Chaudhuri.
The director of another IIT, who wished not to be quoted, said he understood the reason and logic behind the step but would like to see what most IITs do in this regard.
“The HRD ministry has already requested private schools not to pressure students into paying fees. It also wants them to not go for big, arbitrary hikes in view of the situation. In this light ministry would be walking its talk, if its own institutions took the lead,” said the first official cited above.
The official added that not just the IITs, the Indian Institutes of Information Technology too could be requested to spare the students a fee hike this year.
