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NEW DELHI: Keeping financial constraints of millions of students in mind, the government has asked colleges and universities not to insist on immediate payment of annual or semester fees.
Higher education regulator University Grants Commission (UGC) has said instead of being harsh on students at the time of a crisis, educational institutions should be empathetic and explore alternate payment models. The UGC move comes amid the covid-19 pandemic with millions of people facing financial hardship due to the preventive lockdown.
The concern over loss of income and unemployment in the country has deepened as almost one out of four workers in India has been rendered jobless, a recent data from the Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy showed.
“It is requested, that in view of the prevailing extraordinary difficult circumstances, universities and colleges may consider the matter regarding payment of annual/semester fee, tuition fee, examination fee, etc. sympathetically and if feasible, may consider offering alternative payment options to students till the situation returns to normal,” the UGC secretary told colleges and universities. Mint has seen a copy of the circular.
The education regulator said it has received hundreds of complaints from students related to payment of fees, and underlined that an internal panel is keeping an eye on such developments.
“We have received grievances from the students and parents stating that universities and colleges are insisting upon immediate payment of annual/semester tuition fee, examination fee, etc. They have represented that due to the financial hardship being faced due to the lockdown, they are not in a position to make payment of fee,” UGC said in its circular.
The technical education regulator All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has already asked the management institutions to not hike fee in 2020 to ease the burden on students, and asked technical institutions to help students in all aspect – academic and administrative and financial through relaxed rules. But AICTE oversees only professional schools which comprise around 20% of the higher education sector.
The UGC notification will have a better impact as the body caters to a much wider institutional network and may provide relief to students in the prevailing scenario. The education sector has seen disruptions due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Some 330 million students have been facing loss of learning despite attempts to reduce the impact of disruption by adopting technology. Human resource development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has advised regulators to keep the students' interest in mind.
“The universities have been advised to plan their activities keeping in view the safety and interest of our stakeholders, giving highest priority to the health of all concerned. To address the grievances/concerns of the students arising out of the COVID-19 Pandemic situation,” the UGC circular said.
A university administrator in Delhi NCR said there is a cash flow issue at institution level and a lot of their expenses depend on students fees. “The salary is going and the recurring expenses are on besides an escalating cost on creating digital infrastructure. Authorities should look at these issues too,” the administrator said requesting not to be named.
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