Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena on Thursday turned down a proposal by the Delhi government to hike fees at Diploma-level technical institutions run and owned by privately in the city.
According to sources, Mr. Saxena asked the government to postpone the decision by one more year as many citizens were still recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19.
Sources said the proposal was approved and sent to the L-G for clearance by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio. The Delhi government did not respond to the development.
According to sources, the L-G took the decision in “larger public interest” to enable students from all sections of society, particularly those from the lower economic strata, to pursue various diploma-level courses to attain employment.
Sources said that students from financially humble families were already paying between ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 for such courses, which was higher than the fees being paid by their counterparts in Noida and Gurugram.
