CHENNAI: The Anna University (AU) has withheld its April-May 2020 semester results for several engineering students as some colleges had failed to remit fees for exams that were cancelled owing to the lockdown. The April-May exams were cancelled for all, except the final year students. Though the results were announced based on internal evaluation, the varsity had asked colleges to remit fees even for exams that were cancelled.
“We were informed about paying fees only last week. Many were unable to arrange fees in the last moment. I paid my fees only day before yesterday,” said a final year student from an engineering college in Kunrathur. The varsity’s online portal shows his results to be withheld.
The student added that he had to pay a total of Rs 1,400 for all papers including practical exams. “It was insensitive of the university to demand exam fees in the middle of such a crisis without even conducting the exams,” the student said.
Anna University opened the portal for fee payment and notified colleges in mid-March, before the lockdown, still many colleges did not remit the fee until recently even as it had collected from students.
A student from an engineering college in Theni said that he also had to pay arrear exam fees, though no notification on the exams were issued. "I paid my fees in March, but my college had not transferred to the varsity as many other students did not pay the fee. AU should at least consider subsidising the next semester exam fees as we paid the full fees this time even though we did not write it,” he said.
A senior faculty member from an engineering college in the outskirts of Chennai said that half the students in his college are yet to pay the fees. “If the payment was pending only for a few students, we could have paid for them. But, how will the college pay exam fees for half the students,” he rued. Speaking to Express, Anna University Vice Chancellor MK Surappa said that the university had gotten necessary government approval before asking colleges to remit fees. He said, "There are other expenditures for marksheet and printing that we spend on. We have the government's approval to collect the fees."