Punjabi University yields to students’ demand for fee cut

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 27 

Punjabi University has finally yielded to demands of agitating economics students. Along with the Dean (Student Welfare) and the Dean (Academics), Vice-Chancellor BS Ghuman met the protesting students on Monday night. The university authorities accepted all demands of the agitating students, most importantly the reduction in the tuition fee for BA (Economics) course. 

The students have been protesting since March 20. The students had alleged that the university was charging the tuition fee it used to take for the five-year integrated course. The university accepted their demands after a late night meeting with student representatives. 

Now, Punjabi University will charge the same fee it takes for other BA courses. Earlier, it was charging Rs 24,000 per year.  Navjot Singh, a fourth-year student, said, “The authorities have accepted all our demands. It is a victory for us.” 

In November 2017, acting on the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the university had bifurcated the five-year MSc (Economics) course into BA and MA (Economics). The university took the decision after the UGC made it clear that social science subjects cannot be run as MSc courses. Punjabi University was charging 24,000 from the BA students and Rs 14,000 from MA students.   

The demands

• Seats will be reserved for BA students taking admission to MA (Economics)
• Merit-based scholarships
• Assistance in getting part-time jobs
• Renaming of economics course to BA (Hons) and MA (Economics)