Fee increase in IP University colleges to be rolled back: CM

Tribune News Service

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Following students' agitation over retrospective fee hike in institutions affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said the increase will be rolled back. 

"Learnt that fees of all IP Univ colleges have been hiked. Students agitated. My dear students, pl don't worry. I hv asked Edu dept to roll it back. Study well. Best wishes 4 ur exams," Kejriwal said in a series of tweets. 

The Chief Mininster's announcement came after a group of students today staged a protest march from Civil Lines to his residence. 

Erlier this week, colleges had started notifying it and collecting fees retrospectively forcing students to stage demonstrations in various IPU colleges against the hike of around 24 per cent in the fee structure retrospectively. 

A notification, issued last month by Director (Higher Education) Shiv Kumar, had said, "The government has decided that the fee proposed for 2013-16 by the State Fee Regulatory Committee be notified for the period 2014-17. And for the courses having duration of four years and five years, the fee notified by the government will be applicable for the entire duration of the course." 

The new structure is based on the recommendations of the State Fee Regulatory Committee, set up by the Delhi Government on February 1, 2013, to determine fee for pursuing courses in privately managed institutions offering different courses in the national Capital and to perform the functions assigned in the Delhi Professional Colleges or Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee, Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Non-Exploitative Fee and Other Measures to Ensure Equity and Excellence) Act, 2007. 

The notification is based on a report by the eight-member panel to determine the fee for courses in privately managed institutions under the IP University in Delhi and NCR. 

The committee was asked to suggest within three months the fee structure of 106 privately owned colleges affiliated to IP University for the period of 2013 and 2016. 

On the matter, Delhi Assembly's Leader of Opposition Vijendra Gupta yesterday had hit out at the Kejriwal government demanding an immediate withdrawal.

He had said that he would raise the issue of 25 per cent fee hike in the Budget session.