Under grad course fees set to soar

Inflation has not spared even the students.
The University of Mumbai — which caters to 6.5 lakh students of Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri — has proposed a steep hike in fees of under-graduate courses.

The proposal will need the academic and management council’s nod which will be sought next month. The hike is likely to be imposed from 2012-13. If it happens, then college students would have to pay the difference.

The fee revision committee has finalised its report (DNA has a copy), proposing a three-fold increase in tuition fee and 100% fee hike in all unaided courses of BA/BCom/BSc. The committee comprises principals of private colleges and four deans under the chairmanship of professor Ashok Pradhan, former vice-chancellor of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University.

It has proposed a 25% fee hike for aided and self-finance courses. Aided courses of BA and BCom would cost Rs1,450 more annually. BSc students (aided) would have to pay Rs1,850 more. Students of BA and BCom unaided courses would shell out Rs7,450 more and those studying BSc Rs7,850 more.

The fee of self-financing courses (which costs Rs15,000 to Rs28,000) like computer science, IT, Biotech, BBI, BMS, BMM, BAF and BFM will go up by Rs5,000-Rs6,000. Re-exam fee is Rs100 per subject now.

The report says, “The expenditure in the last four years on utilities such as furniture, computer library, lab, exams and building maintenance has gone up. For teachers to be paid under the Sixth Pay Commission, corresponding tuition fees are required to be charged from students of unaided colleges/divisions and self-financing courses.”

The committee has suggested unaided colleges to open a salary account to deposit tuition fees to ensure the revised salary for teachers.

The report mentions that professor Madhu Paranjpe, a committee member, is against the fee hike. She told DNA: “Fee hike is not needed at all. Students are already paying double exam fees due to credit-based semester system. There were no request from colleges to hike the fee.”

Colleges collect fees in June-July, the beginning of the session. If the proposal gets a nod, students will have to pay the difference and they are miffed.

“How can they ask for more fees midway? This is morally and ethically wrong,” said a third year BCom student of Mithibai College.

Pro-vice-chancellor Naresh Chandra was unavailable for comments.

“The fee was not increased since 2008-09 while expenses have increased. Anyway, the recommendations will require the council’s approval,” said an official, requesting anonymity.