UGC wants to fix fees for deemed univs
5-Member Committees Proposed
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:29.11.2019
Deemed universities may not be able to charge students at their discretion as the University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to set up five-member committees to monitor fee structure for 126 deemed universities, including 29 in Tamil Nadu.
As of now, there is no mechanism to regulate fees of private institutions deemed to be universities, which come under the purview of the central government.
Draft regulations released by the UGC on Wednesday said, “An institution shall charge from the students only the fee approved and communicated by the fee committee and no other fee shall be demanded or collected by the institution, either directly or indirectly under any other head of account or guise.”
If there are any violations, the committee will impose fine up to ₹10lakh, refund the excess fee and take other penal action. Deemed universities can appeal against the fee committee’s orders. Deemed universities should submit a proposed fee structure for professional programmes at least six months before the date of advertisement for admissions. Each proposal should be accompanied by authenticated data, including documents and audited accounts, on the basis of which the institution proposes the fee structure.
The fee approved by the fee committee at any point shall be valid for the next three years and subsequent changes, if any, shall be applicable only for new admissions. The fees will be based on parameters such as average per seat cost of imparting education, cost of course wise expenses for students, need for research, extent of aid received by the institutions, social status and educational needs of the people in the area.
The committee will have a former vice-chancellor or head of a national regulatory authority as chairman and an eminent educationist, nominee of a regulatory authority, and a financial expert as members. An official from UGC will be member-secretary. After the draft rules were made public, deemed universities in Tamil Nadu demanded adequate representation on the fee committees. “While I hope that the regulations are in alignment with the Supreme Court order in the 13-judge bench in TMA Pai case, adequate representation of deemed universities in the committee membership must be ensured,” said S Vaidhyasubramaniam, vice-chancellor of Sastra . “When the Justice Srikrishna committee report, medical fee regulations, prohibition of capitation fee acts are in force, the need for new regulations needs justification and, if found necessary, must be in harmony with those in force,” he added.
“Deemed universities are autonomous institutions and promoting research and innovation using their autonomous status. Now, they cannot bring the autonomous institutions under the regulations; it is not acceptable,” said Ishari K Ganesh, chancellor, Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies.
5-Member Committees Proposed
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:29.11.2019
Deemed universities may not be able to charge students at their discretion as the University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to set up five-member committees to monitor fee structure for 126 deemed universities, including 29 in Tamil Nadu.
As of now, there is no mechanism to regulate fees of private institutions deemed to be universities, which come under the purview of the central government.
Draft regulations released by the UGC on Wednesday said, “An institution shall charge from the students only the fee approved and communicated by the fee committee and no other fee shall be demanded or collected by the institution, either directly or indirectly under any other head of account or guise.”
If there are any violations, the committee will impose fine up to ₹10lakh, refund the excess fee and take other penal action. Deemed universities can appeal against the fee committee’s orders. Deemed universities should submit a proposed fee structure for professional programmes at least six months before the date of advertisement for admissions. Each proposal should be accompanied by authenticated data, including documents and audited accounts, on the basis of which the institution proposes the fee structure.
The fee approved by the fee committee at any point shall be valid for the next three years and subsequent changes, if any, shall be applicable only for new admissions. The fees will be based on parameters such as average per seat cost of imparting education, cost of course wise expenses for students, need for research, extent of aid received by the institutions, social status and educational needs of the people in the area.
The committee will have a former vice-chancellor or head of a national regulatory authority as chairman and an eminent educationist, nominee of a regulatory authority, and a financial expert as members. An official from UGC will be member-secretary. After the draft rules were made public, deemed universities in Tamil Nadu demanded adequate representation on the fee committees. “While I hope that the regulations are in alignment with the Supreme Court order in the 13-judge bench in TMA Pai case, adequate representation of deemed universities in the committee membership must be ensured,” said S Vaidhyasubramaniam, vice-chancellor of Sastra . “When the Justice Srikrishna committee report, medical fee regulations, prohibition of capitation fee acts are in force, the need for new regulations needs justification and, if found necessary, must be in harmony with those in force,” he added.
“Deemed universities are autonomous institutions and promoting research and innovation using their autonomous status. Now, they cannot bring the autonomous institutions under the regulations; it is not acceptable,” said Ishari K Ganesh, chancellor, Vels Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies.
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