Panjab University proposes 10% fee hike for 2018-19 session

Initial steps: 5% hike in self-financing courses for enrolled students and 10% for new admissions; 10% increase proposed for professional and traditional courses with minimum annual increase of Rs 1,000; examination fee to be annually increased by Rs 200.

A 10% fee hike proposal for 2018-19 session was tabled at a meeting between student leaders and the authorities of Panjab University on Tuesday.

For professional and traditional courses, a 10% hike was proposed with a minimum annual increase of Rs 1,000. (HT File)

A 5% hike was proposed in self-financing courses for enrolled students and a 10% hike for new admissions. For professional and traditional courses, a 10% hike was proposed with a minimum annual increase of Rs 1,000. Similarly, a 10% hike was proposed in the examination fee with a maximum annual increase of Rs 200.

A committee was constituted by the vice-chancellor (V-C) for working out a road map for rationalisation and revision of fee structure, examination fee and other charges for the new session so as to achieve the task of augmenting resources of PU.

Dean, university instructions (DUI), president of Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA), dean, student welfare (DSW), director of University Institute of Engineering Technology (UIET), registrar, finance and development officer, president and general secretary of Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) are among the 18 members of the committee.

Vani Sood, general secretary of Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC), who was part of the meeting, said, “I recommended that tuition fee and examination fee should not be taken from final-year students of UIET (University Institute of Engineering Technology) who go for training because neither do they attend classes nor do they give exams, adding, “the student council will never be in favour of any type of hike in fee structure.”

‘Hike proposed in reasonable’

Dean, student welfare (DSW), Emanual Nahar, said, “The hike that was proposed was nominal and reasonable. We considered the welfare of students and a proposal was made on mutual consent of members. We need to see the varsity’s budget and income resources too.”

“If we compare the fee structure between the university and city-affiliated colleges, there is a huge difference and the college fee structure for BA/MA courses is double the varsity’s,” he added.

Besides, members also proposed a hike of 10% in user-cum-maintenance charges. Even as the fee is hiked, some seats in all courses will be reserved for meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections.

Background

Earlier this year, the fee hike was necessitated by a financial crunch at PU; this led to a 1,000% hike in courses. The Union ministry for human resource development (MHRD) and University Grants Commission (UGC) was pressuring the varsity to increase income from internal resources for grant. The protest against the fee hike, this year, turned ugly on the PU campus leading to an arrest of some students.

Later in May, the Senate passed a resolution to roll back the hike to 10% for new students with a minimum of Rs 500 and 5% for existing students with a minimum of Rs 500 and a maximum of Rs 1,200.

Jashan Kamboj, PUCSC president, said, “We are against the fee hike. Earlier, the authorities proposed 15% fee hike but then it was discussed that it will invite a lot of criticism, like earlier this year. Another meeting will be held in this regard and the fee structure will be prepared, after which the proposal will be tabled at the Syndicate meeting.