Shell out Rs 16K more for BEd

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 20

Students pursuing two-year BEd degree course from private colleges will have to shell out Rs 16,000 more as the government has revised the fee from Rs 84,870 to Rs 98,000 for the 2019-21 batch.

Further, a levy of 7 per cent will be payable on the tuition fee of Rs 84,000 for the full course, which works out to be Rs 5,880 per student. The students will also have to pay Rs 1,400 as examination fee for each semester.

Besides the tuition fee, the students will be charged additional Rs 10,800, which include Rs 2,060 as amalgamated fund, Rs 3,600 as computer fee and Rs 1,800 each for science practical.

The total fee and other charges, excluding 7 per cent levy, will be 49,510 for first year and 48,490 for the second year. “The government is adding to the burden of poor people, who take loans for the education of their wards,” said Niharika, who was planning to do BEd in the next session.

There are 72 private BEd colleges in the state with about 7,500 seats, but a majority of the seats are not filled on the merit of entrance test.

The government and Himachal Pradesh University obliged the managements of private BEd colleges by giving them permission to admit even those candidates who failed to secure minimum 30 per cent in the test. Students, who did not even appear for the entrance test, were allowed to register themselves for counselling on the basis of merit of qualifying examination.

Himachal Pradesh University has been compromising on the merit, making a mockery of the entrance test to fill the seats in private colleges instead of reducing the number of approved seats.

Academicians are sore over the attitude of the government towards quality education. “Why should the government be reluctant to reduce the number of seats and strictly adhere to merit in case meritorious candidates are not available?” asked a retired professor.

Merit not given importance 

• Students will have to pay Rs 1,400 as examination fee for each semester
• There are 72 private BEd colleges in the state with about 7,500 seats, but a majority of the seats are not filled on merit
• Academicians are of the view that the minimum percentage in the entrance test should be 50 per cent