The students belonging to the backward communities who are pursuing various degree courses including professional courses like engineering and medical under the Government quota need not pay their fees at the time of admission from this academic year.
Earlier, these students were supposed to pay the fees which would be reimbursed by the Social Welfare Department later. However, the Government has now decided to do away with such a practice and pay directly to the colleges on their behalf in a bid to prevent any inconvenience of to these students.
Announcing this at a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday, Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya said a large number of meritorious students from these communities were unable to get admissions to degree courses as they were unable to pay the fee due to poverty. Hence the government had asked all the Universities in the state to admit such students without insisting on payment of fees, he said.
The meritorious OBC students have been exempted from paying five kinds of fees including those related to teaching, library, examination and labs.
In 2014-15, the Government had reimbursed fees to the tune of Rs. 178 crore of 2.82 lakh students belonging to the backward classes, the minister said.
He warned that affiliations of colleges would be cancelled if they insisted on payment of fees by these students once they were selected through the common entrance test.
Referring to the episode of the inferior quality beds and pillows alleged being supplied to the students hostels run by the Social Welfare Department, he said an inquiry would be conducted into the issue. Criminal cases would be filed against the supplier if the inferior quality articles were not replaced, he noted.
