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Parents of the first year B.Tech students of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Calicut wrote to Mr. Prakash Javadekar, the Human Resources Development Minister raising their concern over the fee hike in NITs.
The parents wrote to the HRD ministry on the recent method adopted by the NIT council, headed by then Ms. Smriti Irani, the Union HRD minister approving the scheme of adopting a funding mechanism for creation of research analysis grants, capital belongings and to cover recurring expenditure by mountaineering the tuition fee from current INR 70,000 to INR 1,25,000 for each student per annum from the coming academic year.
Also Read: IIT Council to Review 122 Percent Fee Hike Proposed by HRD
In context to the fee hike, a letter was sent by the HRD Ministry to the directors of all the 31 NITs informing about the revised fee approach.
The letter pointed the impact of the new method on many bright students who are already finding it difficult to pay the existing fee. This was evident from the interactions with the parent community of NITs. The letter was on the behalf of the bulk of parents who struggle to raise debts though they intend to provide quality education to their wards. The letter read that increasing the tuition fee will not only disrupt the attempt made by the underprivileged of our country to become upwardly mobile but will also hurt academic interests.
The parents revealed that the fee was only INR 15000 per year before 2009. In the year 2010, it was increased to INR 40,000. and then further increased to Rs. 70,000 per annum in 2013. In last few years, the NIT fees have seen an eight-fold rise in the fee structure.
Dr. Sudeep K S, the Assistant Professor of Department of Computer Science and Engineering, NIT Calicut commented on this issue mentioning that the frequent fee hike in the last few years had made it more difficult for the common people to reach IITs and NITs.
Also Read: IIMs in Favour to Increase Financial Aid Assistance Besides the Tuition Fee Hike
He further added that the tuition fee itself is INR 1, 25,000 per annum excluding other expenditure like the mess fee, etc. Though the NITs allow for two third remission of the tuition fees for those with annual income less than Rs. 5 lakhs, but still according to him, it is heavily demanding on parents. he cited that the entire agenda behind hiking the fees seems like a scam, just to increase the educational loan business in the country.
The parents of B.Tech students of NIT Calicut, Kerala requested the HRD Ministry to either reduce the fee to Rs. 40,000 per annum or to increase the limit of income to 15 lakhs per year instead of 5 lakhs.
