Late fee for semester exams irks Punjabi University students

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 24

Punjabi University, Patiala, which is currently conducting semester examinations that were delayed from December due to various reasons, is already collecting late fee from students for upcoming even semester exams to be held in May.

The university conducts odd semester exams in December and January and even semester exams in May and June. The decision is being criticised by student unions.

The university shifted to semester examinations in 2003. Since then, it has been collecting examination fee for the even semester without late fee till February end. “This time, the controller office took an arbitrary decision and decided to collect late fee from February 10 itself. We complained to the office a number of times after which it was extended to February 14. This is causing inconvenience to students who are being forced to make untimely arrangements of funds. Moreover, the decision was not communicated by the university to students before its implementation,” said Kulwinder Singh, president, Punjab Student Welfare Association (PSWA).

A university professor said: “The exams supposed to be held in December last year have been delayed due to various reasons and are being held in February. In such a scenario, there is no concrete reason to charge late fee for filling forms for the exams to be held in May this year.”

Association members said: “We are reluctant to pay the examination fee of students so early as colleges are supposed to pay for SC students. The fee is then supposed to be returned by the Centre to the college under the post-matric scholarship, but the amount has not been credited to us in years altogether.”

Controller Examinations, Dr Balwinder Singh Tiwana, said: “Dates have been fixed as per the directions of the Dean, Academics, and the Vice-Chancellor.”