PU moots massive fee hike

Chandigarh, March 9: The Punjab University Committee on Fee Revision has recommended massive hikes in various kinds of fees charged by th...

Chandigarh, March 9: The Punjab University Committee on Fee Revision has recommended massive hikes in various kinds of fees charged by the university. In some cases the revised fee has been pegged at ten times the existing fee; the smallest hike is just 30 per cent higher.

In its February 15 meeting the committee, constituted by PU Vice-Chancellor M.M. Puri, recommended hikes ranging between 50 to 300 per cent in tuition fees for different courses. In today8217;s meeting, the committee has created certain new fees and funds to be charged. While recommending a marginal increase in annual hostel charges, the committee has put off recommendations on monthly charges for want of information on the current charges, sources said.

In all, more than 100 different kinds of fees structures and charges came up for consideration today. Barring one or two items, the committee has hiked the rates of all.

Committee members were supplied lists of fees charged by the PU vis-a-vis Punjabi University, Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Among the hikes recommended by the committee are: raising monthly tuition fee for the morning MBA course from Rs 75 to Rs 500 and for the evening course from Rs 90 to Rs 1000; Raising the tennis club fee from Rs 65 per annum to Rs 500, boating fee from Rs 20 to Rs 200; charging Rs 120 per annum for the Development Fund as opposed to the current Rs 10; introduction of a Library Development fund charged at RS 200 from each student annually and charging a fee of Rs 300 for summer training.

The tuition fee structure for foreign students and NRI sponsored candidates will be discussed with the Dean Foreign Students before recommendations are made, sources said.

The meeting was attended by several university officials, principals of four affiliated colleges, two fellows of the university, the dean, College Development Council and the president of the campus students8217; council.

The meeting was attended by several university officials, principals of four affiliated colleges, two fellows of the university, the dean, College Deve-lopment Council and the president of the campus students8217; council.