GNDU’s Rs 30,000-late fee raises concerns for flood-hit students

Following a Supreme Court order, Punjabi University, Patiala; Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar; and Panjab University, Chandigarh, have extended the last date of admissions to October 30 for students from flood-affected areas.

The Court extended the admission cut-off date to October 30 for all colleges and universities in Punjab, while for online admissions, the deadline has been pushed to November 7. The extension came in response to a petition filed by the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA), which argued that many students had missed the original deadline of September 15 due to the severe floods in several parts of the state.

While the extension provides relief to students, the institutions have been allowed to levy late admission fees.

At GNDU, the maximum late fee has been set at Rs 30,000 for students missing the admission or fee submission deadlines. This amount is typically reached through a daily compounding late fee, often charged at Rs 1,000 per day after the final deadline has passed. This policy, consistently reflected in GNDU's academic and examination schedules, applies to all constituent, affiliated and regional campuses.

However, the Association of United Teachers (AUCT) of Punjab and Chandigarh has expressed concern, arguing that students should not be burdened with such high fees, especially when universities have claimed to offer fee waivers or financial assistance for flood-affected students.

"Panjab University is charging Rs 5,510 as a late fee, while Punjabi University, Patiala, has fixed it at Rs 2,000. Compared to these, GNDU's decision to impose a hefty amount defeats the very purpose of relief," said Tarun Ghai, president of AUCT.

Meanwhile, Dr Palvinder Singh, Dean Academic Affairs at GNDU, explained that under the Syndicate-approved provisions, the university levies a late fee of Rs 30,000 when a student seeks admission within 20 days of the examination date.

"In this case, students applying for admission after November 1 will be required to pay the late fee, since GNDU's exams begin on November 22. This rule applies to all students seeking late admission. However, for students from flood-affected areas, we are open to considering their cases individually if they approach us," he said.

Dr Singh added that so far, the university has not received any requests from flood-affected students for a fee waiver or financial support.