College won?t be cheap

Univs told to hike fee to meet part of their expenses

The Planning Commission laid down the law: No free lunches. The Human Resources ministry passed on the message to the University Grants Commission. Now universities and colleges are being told: Hike fees to fund some of your expenses.

In short, students of most universities in the country funded by UGC -- Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University included -- can expect a fee hike. The size of the hike has been left to the universities.

The universities are being told that at least 20 per cent of their expenses must be met through fees. This may send Delhi University fees, for instance, rocketing. At present only three per cent of its expenses are met through fees.

JNU stands to suffer most. Collections from fees meet only one per cent of its expenses.

Neither of the two -- HRD or UGC - is happy doing this. The HRD ministry had sought an additional Rs 2,379 crore for 18 central universities, 200 state universities and for hundreds of UGC funded colleges.

The Planning Commission had other ideas. One of its members, Dr Bhalchandra Mungekar, told education secretary Sudeep Banerjee recently the state-funded universities and colleges can collect at least 20 per cent through fees.

There are very few universities which are already collecting that much or more.

Fees accounts for 39 per cent of the income of Bombay University, 30.1 per cent in case of Kerala University and 46.8 per cent for Madras university.

But these are just a few honourable exceptions. Most others happily live of the government.