Top engineering colleges may hike fee

Of the 900-odd colleges, only 44 submit their financial statements for revision of fee to AFRC

Fee in at least a few top engineering and other professional colleges may be hiked this year with the Supreme Court asking the State government to provide an opportunity to some colleges to present their views over fee hike.

Out of the 900-odd colleges, only 44 colleges submitted their financial statements for revision of fee to the Admission and Fee Regulation Committee (AFRC) as per guidelines and these colleges will now get a chance to present their views. Officials said among them only a few have submitted proposals and documents in support of their claim and they may seek a revision in fee for the 2012-13 academic year.

A senior official agreed that the government may be forced to increase the fee in those colleges, which can satisfy the AFRC that they have been implementing the UGC pay scales to teachers and provided all the facilities to students as per the norms. However, the final picture is likely to emerge on May 9 when the government has to submit its report in the Supreme Court.

‘No other option'

Officials said among the 44 colleges some have promised to implement the scales if fee is hiked while some claimed that they are in the process of providing salaries as per pay scales. However, only a few colleges have submitted documents to prove they are already implementing the pay scales.

Officials agreed that they would have no other option but to increase the fee if the Supreme Court directs so. However, the hike will be limited to some among these 44 colleges only that include some top colleges preferred by the top rankers. 

Fee hike in more schools in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: Recently Gujarat High Court has issued show cause notices to four schools for fee hike, yet many reputed schools of Ahmedabad are set to implement 7% to 12% hike in their fee structure. Parents are angry with this move.

Delhi Public School, The Calorx School, Anand Niketan in Satellite and Riverside School have hiked their tuition fee across all classes while Ahmedabad International School has done so in only a few sections. Parents will have to pay more this year.

Gujarat high court has recently issued notices to the government departments concerned and to four schools of the city. All have been asked to file replies within a month. The schools issued notices are Zydus School, DPS, Anand Nikentan and Vedanta which have also been made a party in the case. The PIL filed by Prakash Kapadia of the trust, Jageja Gujarat, has alleged that private schools in the city are charging exorbitant amounts as fee under various heads from students. The fees charged include security fee, development fee, lunch fee etc.