Patiala, June 21
The Punjabi University Syndicate today decided to adopt the fee structure recommended by the Punjab government for all Colleges affiliated to it hiking admission and tuition fee besides doing away with free of cost education for girls.
According to sources the varsity has decided to adopt the fee structure advised by the government, and adopt it for courses on the campus from the next academic session. It, however, revised the fee structure for its in campus courses earlier which has also been approved by the Syndicate. The Syndicate approved the hike in College fee ignoring a dharna organised on the campus against the move.
The sources said the new fee structure would put a huge burden on both Government and Private-Aided Colleges affiliated to the University. Colleges affiliated with the Punjabi University will charge fee according to the new structure, those affiliated with the Panjab University in Ludhiana, Ferozepore and other areas of Punjab will continue to charge old fee structure as the Panjab University is yet to implement recommendations of the State government.
According to the sources, the admission fee for undergraduate and postgraduate courses has been hiked from the earlier Rs 10 per year to Rs 750 and Rs 1000 per annum. The tuition fee for undergraduate courses has been hiked from the earlier Rs 12 per month to Rs 350 per month. Similarly tuition fee for professional courses has been hiked to Rs 500 per month, for postgraduate courses to Rs 650 per month and for M.Phil and Ph.D courses to Rs 750 per month.
The varsity has also adopted government recommendations with regard to Other Charges which were not levied earlier. All courses will be charged Rs 50 per month under this head while these will also be charged Rs 50 as part of the Amalgamated Fund under which they were being charged only Rs eight per month earlier. The College students will also have to pay annual charges of Rs 500 per annum, Parent Teacher Association Charges of Rs 300 annually and Building Construction Charges of Rs 300 per annum which they were not paying earlier.
Even the hostel and parking charges have been increased substantially. In case of a single hostel room students will have to pay Rs 300 per month while they will have to pay Rs 250 per month for a shared room and Rs 150 per month for staying in a dormitory. The existing charges were Rs 16 per month for all types of rooms. Hostel students will also be charged Rs 100 per month as service charges which were Rs 10 per month till now.
In case of parking charges, students will have to pay Rs 25 per month for cycle parking, Rs 50 per month for scooter parking and Rs 75 per month for parking of four wheelers. Earlier students were paying Rs two per month for cycles and Rs five per month for scooters.
Meanwhile the Sanjha Vidyarthi Front comprising eight student
organisations today held a dharna in front of the office of the Vice-Chancellor. Student leaders including Gurnam Singh Virk of the Punjabi University Students Confederation besides other leaders accused the State government of running away from its responsibility on education.
They said in case the Universities of the State adopted the fee structure announced by the government, the students would be compelled to launch an agitation on the issue.
