PU fee hike investment or wasteful expenditure? : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

Open House response

PU fee hike investment or wasteful expenditure?

Panjab University was established on October 14, 1882, and since then it has changed in terms of infrastructure and academics. The UGC and the Ministry of Human Resource Development should provide funds for its survival.

PU fee hike investment or wasteful expenditure?

The number of research faculty at Panjab University has drastically come down because it does not have sufficient funds. file photo



Panjab University was established on October 14, 1882, and since then it has changed in terms of infrastructure and academics. The UGC and the Ministry of Human Resource Development should provide funds for its survival.

Harish Kapur, former associate professor, PU, Chandigarh


Review fee structure 

The fee structure at the university should be reviewed immediately. Before increasing the fee, a comparison should be done with other universities. Students and parents should also be taken into confidence through their unions and associations. 

Bharat Bhushan Sharma


Recruit staff, if required

The university must use available resources rationally and should not restrain itself from recruiting new faculty if staff crunch is likely to affect the students’ performance. Lack of resources may result in underperformance. 

Rajender Kumar Garg, Zirakpur


Research projects to regain financial health

Increasing fee for some courses may not garner the desired funds as needed by the university. The main aim is to impart education and enhanced fee may disrupt this mission. The university will have to regain its financial health and this can be possible by doing research-based projects for industry, undertaking feasibility studies for governments/MSMEs, consulting work for industry/trade associations and small duration training courses for the SMEs/first-level managers. Besides, the varsity will have to cut down its expenses a lot to enhance its revenue.

Dr Rajeev Kumar, Chandigarh


Internal politics main issue

The main issue in the university is not fee hike, but internal politics. Thanks to student politics, supported by major political parties. The varsity has become an arena of agitations and protests. All this is undesirable and is damaging the reputation of the PU. Immediate corrective measures have to be taken. The VC, student leaders, their parents and the city MP need to sit together and resolve the issues amicably. Once the discipline on the campus improves, the financial situation will also get better. The fees have to be revised keeping in view the present costs and directions of the UGC. The Punjab Government must help the university financially. Also, the alumni should step out and help their alma mater. The university can also think of starting certain additional services and facilities for the students. With this, they can earn additional revenue. 

Madhu RD Singh, teacher, Army Public School, Ambala Cantt 


Recruit intelligent faculty

Intelligent and well-qualified faculty should be appointed and wasteful expenditure should be avoided. Fee should be increased as done in the past.

Tarlok Singh, MHC Manimajra


Uniformity in fee structure

The PU has been one of the leading centres for education and has been serving students across the country. The number of research staff has drastically come down because the varsity does not have sufficient funds. Also, it is neither a state nor a Central university and the funds it receives from the Punjab Government is not sufficient for its survival. There should be uniformity in fee structure and it should be as per the recommendations of the panel formed by the university.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula


Step may produce good results

The formation of a panel to rationalise fee structure may produce good results if realistic approach is adopted. The university, one of the most prestigious educational institutes in the country, has given a number of intellectuals to the country, which includes former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The Government of India should release funds for the smooth functioning of the varsity. The fee structure should be revised to include job-oriented courses.

Sukhpal Singh


Irregular, insufficient funds

The university has taken the right decision by forming a panel to look into its fee structure. The university, one of the premier educational institutes of North India, is suffering from acute fund crunch for the past few years. The grants given by the Punjab, Haryana and the Central Government are irregular and insufficient. The university cannot run efficiently without funds and competent faculty. The revision of the fee structure is mandatory if the salaries of staff and other infrastructural expenditure are considered. Moreover, the students coming from a poor background can be exempted or charged lower than those who can pay more.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd)


Fee hike not a permanent solution

The varsity should not increase fee as it’s not a permanent solution to provide affordable and quality education. Students work very hard to get admission in various courses provided by the university, with an expectation that they would charge affordable fee.

Sourabh Beri


Admn should plan budget properly

So many politicians and bureaucrats studied at the university and feel proud that they were the students of the university. But now, the standard of the varsity is decreasing due to poor financial condition. The Punjab, Haryana and Central governments governments should provide funds to the university. The administration should plan the budget properly. Also, there should be nominal increase in fee, if necessary. 

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali


Nominal fee hike in students’ interest

The PU’s decision to increase the fee will go against the majority of the students who belong to poor or middle-class families. Raising the fee is not the only way to increase funds of the university. The authorities should organise charity shows, conduct lucky draws to create funds for the university. Some renowned NGOs and personalities may also be contacted for donation to the university. The rich alumni can also come to the rescue of their alma mater. Moreover, it is the duty of the government, both UT and Central, to generate funds for the varsity without putting a direct burden on the students. Even if there is a need to increase fee, only nominal hike should be there so as to safeguard the students’ interest.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi


Start coaching centre engaging retd profs

Education is becoming a costly affair. Ethically, socially and economically, we cannot trade in education. It is the responsibility of the authorities to provide affordable education to students. A majority of students, who belong to mediocre families, cannot afford costly education in private universities; hence they look forward to join public universities. The university should think of outsourcing by employing able and willing professors retired from the university. The teachers have no expiry dates like politicians. When aged politicians can run the nation, why can’t veteran professors impart better education than newly employed costly professors? Fee hike must not be linked with the recruitment of new faculty. To keep going, the university must open good coaching centres to provide affordable education for various competitive examinations. Let the PU start a state-of-the art coaching centre engaging the best retired professors.

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar, environmentalist, Mohali


Fee hike to directly impact students

Any marginal or steep hike in the fee at Panjab University will directly impact the students across the spectrum. The students belonging to the non-privileged category will face more hardships. The current attitude and policies of both state and Central governments, prima facie indicates that they have decided to abandon the responsibility of higher education and hand it over to private players, corporate houses and crony industrialists who could sell it like a commercial commodity. As such, education will become dearer and a distant dream for the poor, downtrodden and marginal sections of society. Education is a long-term investment in terms of building a nation and for the objective of inculcating values for the formation of a civilised and humble society. Any major transformation in policies of education system, fee hike or seeking more funds for infrastructure, development, etc, will serve a little for the institute. The Centre and the Punjab Government can easily withstand the expenditure of PU, provided they do not indulge in favouritism or political slugfest. 

Karan Singh Vinayak, Chandigarh


Varsity should increase fee by 5%

To bring in financial stability, the PU authorities should increase fee/sundry charges by 5 per cent every year and curtail cost of governance by 30 per cent. To keep off the role of various unions, management audit by third party should be conducted as the mismanagement had adversely affected the university on all fronts during the last more than three decades.

KC Rana, Chandigarh


Increase seats to improve condition

Every year, the Central and state governments spend a substantial amount on non-productive schemes in name of welfare of poor and deprived sections of society. Investment in education institutions which produce administrators, researchers, engineers and technocrats leads to futuristic productivity. The governments must ensure sufficient funds for the university. However, to meet exigencies and other important projects and recruitment of teaching staff, there may be a fee hike of up to 7-10 per cent. The university should take initiatives to improve its revenue at its own level by enhancing seats.

Derpak Mehra


Bear marginal hike to keep institution alive

The university is facing a financial crunch, thus not fulfilling the aspirations of the region. Whenever the university tried to raise the fee structure, hue and cry is raised from different corners. Ironically, people prefer overseas universities and pay a hefty fee there, but they are not ready to enhance fee in their own country. If fee is hiked every year marginally linked with price index, I think the university will be able to keep up and people should realise and bear the marginal hike to keep the institution alive.

Gobind Ahuja, Chandigarh


No to fee hike

It seems totally absurd on the part of the Panjab University administration to even think of increasing the number of seats in various courses and increase in fee structure. Both decisions are not going to help the students already studying in the PU or the ones who look for taking admissions in the 2019-20 session. Increase in the number of seats will add to their woes as the track record of campus placements is very poor as most of the students of all streams pass out without any job leading to frustration. The return on investment (ROI) is very poor for the students passing out of the PU as compared to other private universities of the region. Managements of private universities take a lot of pain in getting most of their students placed before they leave the campus after completing their studies.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali 


Forming Panel a  laudable step 

Though the varsity gets grant from both Central and state governments, it charges heavy fee from the students to supplement their budgetary needs. The university witnesses a fee hike every year due to the rising inflation, leading to resentment and demonstrations by the students. In this situation, PU forming a panel to rationalise the fee structure is a highly laudable step.  SS Arora, Mohali


Curtail unnecessary expenses

Instead of burdening its students with yet another fee raise, the PU must curtail its own wasteful expenditure. Instead of inviting celebrity singers for cultural events, the varsity should encourage local talent and save money. Adequate efforts have not been made to approach the University Grants Commission for requisite grant. Raising students’ fee to pay staff and fill vacant faculty posts should be the last resort. SC Luthra


Hike should be viewed as investment   

The proposal will partially affect the existing students, who will continue to pay as per their existing pattern, with a 5 per cent nominal hike. University education in India is the cheapest in the world, as it is highly supported by the government. The PU has been a leading centre for education, but it needs funds to remain numero uno in North India. There should not be any protests and if students, with their political affiliations, try to put roadblocks, strict action should be taken against them. The fee hike should be viewed as an investment, and not as expenditure by the students. Rajiv Boolchand Jain


QUESTION

With the mushrooming of coaching centres, the problem of dummy admissions in tricity schools is on the rise. Students get admission to Classes XI and XII and pass out without attending classes. What measures should be taken by the authorities to curb the practice?


Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]

Top News

Relief for Delhi CM, High Court bins plea for his ouster

Relief for Delhi CM, High Court bins plea for his ouster

Special court extends Kejriwal’s ED custody till April 1


Cities

View All