UGC Directs Educational Institutions to Adopt Digital Transactions, Asks for Data
- Payment of fees at educational institutions will be done through digital payment modes.
- Universities will have to generate all receipts and payments pertaining to fee through digital modes.
- Training for using the BHIM should be provided to all individuals.
In an attempt to digitise the mode of payments across the country, the Government of India has decided that payment of fees and other monetary work at educational institutions will be done through digital payment modes. Following the same, the UGC has demanded data from educational institutes on all the transactions made in the last one year.
The step has been taken to ease the payment procedure and encourage individuals to move towards digitisation. This will enable students and college administration to do all money transactions online without the need of cash and cheque.
This is yet another directive by the Union HRD Ministry that supports PM Modi’s campaign led by the Indian youth in transforming Indian from a cash-based to cashless economy. Cashless payments in India gained prominence after the demonetization of 500 and 1000 Rupees notes.
In order to bring this plan into action, the UGC has directed all the Vice Chancellors of Indian Universities that all receipts and payments pertaining to student fees, admission fee, exam fees, salaries and vendor payments should be made through digital (online) mode.
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UGC has also directed all universities and colleges to make hostel fee and all other student services’ fees through online mode only. Apart from this, canteens and other business establishments on the campuses have also been encouraged to switch to digital payment medium, however, the final decision has been left up to them.
In order to ensure that the universities are following these directives, the UGC has also asked the colleges and universities to configure an action plan and set a digital transactions target for themselves. UGC will be keeping a monthly track of the transactions.
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Jaspal S Sandhu, UGC Secretary, wrote that training for using the BHIM should be provided to all students, administrators, institutes and educational agencies. He also added that bank accounts, Aadhaar numbers and mobile numbers must be linked to the app in order to move towards digital transactions.