PU not to charge fees from the poor

Students from poor financial background but with good academic record at Panjab University campus will start getting financial aid soon.

The board of finance at the varsity has approved the recommendation of a committee headed by Dean University Instructions (DUI), AK Bhandari and has drawn up five slabs of fee rebates for students.

Students with family income of less than rs 1 lakh will get 100% percent fee remission, followed by 75% fee remission for those from family income between rs1 lakh and rs 1.5 lakh.

Students with family income between rs 1.5 lakh and rs 2.5 lakh, will have to pay half the fee and those with family income of rs 2.5 lakh and rs3.5 lakh will get 10% remission. The last category will be of those students getting 5% fee remission and income category between ` 3.5 and rs4.5 lakh.

The PU senate had increased the fee 10-20% at a meeting in May, despite violent opposition. At the same meeting, a fund of rs 75 lakh had been approved to spend annually to aid students in their studies.

The Bhandari committee was set following PU senate decision to finalise the modalities of the scheme and its recommendations were recently approved at the board of finance meeting and would be presented before the syndicate for final stamp on September 26.

“After the syndicate nod, all the departments will be issued a circular about the same. The decision is to be implemented from this year only,” a top official said.

The university has nearly 15,000 students on campus. Officials claim that that with upper limit for the remission of the fee at rs5 lakh, they expected a large number of students to be eligible and benefit.

“A department-wise merit list will be prepared to decide on the beneficiaries,” the officials said.