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Amarjot Kaur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 24
Blowing hot and cold over the probable fee hike in the coming academic session (2019-20), the authorities at Panjab University have been oscillating between extremes since March to have finally inched towards the golden mean now. During its first meeting today, a panel, headed by Professor Ashok Goyal, and formed on the recommendation of Syndicate members barely 13 days ago, expounded the possibility of fee rationalisation. “The committee has resolved that there will be no change in the fee structure of the existing students. However, a 7.5 per cent fee hike is likely on the cards for new admissions in all self-financed and traditional courses at the varsity. A maximum admission fee limit of Rs 7,500 has been set for self-financed and Rs 500 for traditional courses,” a source from the committee said, demanding anonymity.
The committee’s recommendation awaits its fate at the impending Senate meeting, which is slated to be held at the PU on Sunday.
Reportedly, in March this year, a committee constituted by the Panjab University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Raj Kumar, had recommended a 10 per cent fee hike for those seeking admission in the several courses offered by the university. An increase of 5 per cent was proposed for students who are already enrolled in a particular course. There were only four departments that were an exception to this recommendation, including UIET, Dr SSB UICET, UBS and UIPS.
The committee suggested a 70 per cent increase for BPharma course at UIPS and 10 per cent to 20 per cent fee hike in the BE, ME and MSc courses, along with a 20 per cent raise in BE, ME and MTech course tuition fee of Dr SSB UICET. Besides, the UBS had also recommended a hike of Rs 10,000 in all its courses. When the committee’s recommendations were tabled at the previous Syndicate meeting, the members had resolved to form a committee to take a call on the rationalisation of fee structure.