PU VC for fee hike from next session

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16

Having ultimately settled for 10 per cent fee hike for this session, Vice Chancellor AK Grover is looking for a hike yet again from the next session. He made the pitch at a meeting held with chairpersons of all departments today.

The chairperson handed out a comparative chart of fee of various courses in affiliated colleges in Punjab, Chandigarh and on the campus. He told the chairpersons that the fee on campus was way lower than those in colleges. Hence, rationalising fee at all the institutions was a must.

He has stressed on the need of appointing a committee for the same that can work towards it. Talking to the Chandigarh Tribune, the VC said, “Rationalisation, if successful, will be attempted in 2018- 19.”

The issue of fee hike has not yet settled and the VC has once again made his intentions clear for the next session.

In the Senate meeting held on March 26, a steep hike in fee for various courses was approved. The move meant that some courses had experienced a fee hike of over 1,000 per cent like for chemical engineering. However, it resulted into major protests across the university and on April 11, student parties called for a bandh.

The fateful day turned violent soon and what ensued was stone pelting from one side and lathis, water cannons and tear gas shells from the other. Not only this, 68 students were booked for sedition, among other charges. The charge was later dropped as authorities faced ire from all around the nation.

The VC tried to justify the move by saying that the university was forced to generate its own revenue. If not for the fee hike the university may soon have to shut down. The reason behind this was that PU was not receiving enough grants from the centre. The VC had stayed firm on his stance that fee hike would not be rolled back.

However, in a special meeting of the Senate held on May 7, the fee hike was partially rolled back and the matter was settled with 10 per cent hike. The VC later admitted that he had given in to the pressure exerted by the Senators in the meeting. Now, once again, the VC has made his intentions clear to attempt another fee hike next session.