CHENNAI: Engineering college fees in Tamil Nadu will not be hiked this academic year, said Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy on Friday. “Engineering fees will not be increased in Tamil Nadu. The old fees will remain in force.
The recommendations of the AICTE cannot be accepted,” the minister told reporters at the Secretariat. The statement assumes significance as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recently revamped the fee structure after six years, and fixed fee slabs for different courses.
According to the AICTE’s recommendation, a minimum fee of Rs 79,600 a year and a maximum of Rs 1.89 lakh a year can be charged for undergraduate engineering courses. In Tamil Nadu, the existing fee for a government quota seat is almost half of the recommended fees, with a majority of private colleges in the State charging around just Rs 55,000 a year.
The minister’s announcement has come as a blow to some of the private colleges, located in urban areas and tier I cities, which were planning to hike the fees following AICTE’s recommendation.
State doesn’t need NEP, says Ponmudy
P Selvaraj, secretary of the Consortium of Self-Financing Professional Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu, said: “Due to poor enrolment and rising expenses, engineering colleges are struggling to survive. This year, too, eight engineering colleges have decided to shut down. It is necessary to hike the fees, but we don’t agree with the fees recommended by AICTETE either as it is too high.”
Selvaraj further said the consortium representatives will soon meet the minister and request him to allow a nominal fee hike. “We cannot hike the fees without the State government’s approval. We will apprise the minister about our financial issues and seek help,” added Selvaraj. Interacting with reporters, Ponmudy expressed his dissatisfaction over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment on the National Education Policy (NEP) during his visit to Chennai on Thursday.
The minister made it clear that TN will not adopt the NEP. “The CM has appointed an expert committee to draft the State Education Policy (SEP). The SEP will help in developing the education system in the State. As far as TN is concerned, there is no need for NEP and we will not accept it,” said Ponmudy. He further stated that promoting professional courses in regional languages was nothing new for the State.
“Tamil medium engineering education was introduced in the State in 2010 through a Government Order during Kalaignar’s (M Karunanidhi) tenure. The G.O. also stated that students studying engineering in Tamil will be given priority in employment as well. So, it is not new,” Ponmudy added.