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After IIMs, IITs want to increase annual fee

IIT/IIM sources said the fee hike issue clearly shows the significant difference between the two institutes in terms of government control.

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Aim is to improve the tech institutes’ economic health

NEW DELHI: Within days of the Indian institutes of management (IIMs) announcing a significant fee hike, the seven Indian institutes of technology (IITs) are making public appeals of what has been their quiet demand for years: fee hike to tide over financial crises.

IIT/IIM sources said the fee hike issue clearly shows the significant difference between the two institutes in terms of government control.

While the IIMs are exploiting their right to hike fee to further reduce their dependence on government assistance, the IITs continue to be fully dependent on the government, and are hoping it would approve increasing the annual fee to Rs50,000 from Rs25,000-Rs30,000 a year for a BTech student.

The IITs are in serious financial trouble because of the very low fee they receive from students, say faculty. Only 10-12% of the total budget of an IIT comes from student fee, whereas globally, it is around 25%. Last year, IIT-Mumbai spent Rs20 crore more than its allotted annual budget.

IIT-Delhi director Surendra Prasad told a TV channel there was “a proposal to hike fee. But a final decision will come from the government”. He said, “All our needs are met by the government. But increasing fee would help us strengthen our economic health.”

Many in the top echelons of the IITs believe the government has to give the institutions more autonomy, including right to fix fees. A senior IIT faculty pointed out that the IIMs had been able to push the fee hike because of the autonomy they enjoy. “The IIMs can do whatever they want to. The government can only protest,” he said.

The faculty pointed out that the IIT brand is facing challenges because of the intense government control. They have no freedom in deciding fees, faculty salaries and other parameters governing them. All this is slowly eroding the IIT standing in global education rankings, which plays a crucial role in determining the kind of placements and future admissions its students would get.

j_josy@dnaindia.net

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