The decision of several universities in the State to increase the examination fees from this semester has not gone down well with students of government colleges. Many of them protested here on Tuesday, demanding the rollback of the hike.
The exam fee per paper in as many as 13 universities in the State has been increased by Rs. 65 for undergraduate courses and Rs. 120 for post-graduate courses. The current fee per paper is different in every university and ranges from Rs. 95 – Rs. 340 per paper for undergraduate students. “There is no relaxation for even SC/ST students as this does not come under tuition fee. As a student often has to write more than 10 exams per semester, the hike will be a burden on students in government colleges,” said G. Niruban, district president, Students Federation of India.
Universities such as Bharathidasan University, Manonmaniam Sundarnar University and Madurai Kamaraj University have already announced the increase. Officials in many other institutions said the new amount will be made known to the students soon. According to sources, the proposal is also being debated at the University of Madras.
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The fee hike was proposed by Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE), which has also sought an increase in the remuneration for staff involved in examination work, such as invigilators and evaluators. “We have nothing against increasing the pay of invigilators, but why should students bear the burden. Universities need to figure out other ways to pay them,” said Raj Mohan, another protester.
Higher education officials said the students had written to them about their concerns and had also met the education minister. The proposals are being considered, an official said.