NEW DELHI: Delhi University is likely to see a steep hike in fees with authorities deciding to increase the annual university development fee (UDF) collected from students. Reduction in capital grants by the University Grants Commission (UGC) is said to be the reason behind the decision.
Pointing out that the university has been getting only Rs 600 per student per year as UDF contribution since 2012-13, the university development fund committee, which was formed to consider allocation of funds for activities like construction of new buildings and procurement of laboratory equipment, said,
“Keeping in view the fund requirement, as well as government mandate for self-sufficiency and reduction of capital grants by UGC and for creation of ICT (information and communications), enabled infrastructure, the UDF amount should be revised to Rs 900 per student per year.”
The DU Executive Council accepted the committee’s recommendations in its December 17 meeting, although a few members dissented. Calling the Rs 1.25 crore allotted by the UGC in the current financial year a ‘very small amount’, the committee comprising former pro-vice chancellor PC Joshi and registrar Vikas Gupta said the university is unable to purchase even a single laboratory equipment. It approved an allocation of Rs 52 crore for purchase/replacement of laboratory equipment, ‘after exhausting all available resources’.
According to Executive Council member Seema Das, the university earlier used to treat the amount collected as development fund as an emergency fund. “As in every household, some money is never touched and kept for difficult times. The UDF has been like this,” said Das, adding that ‘forcing’ the university to draw from UDF for infrastructure and development will make the things difficult for students from SC, ST and OBC.
Democratic Teachers’ Front secretary Abha Dev Habib said, “In view of the pandemic, no institution is increasing fees, but increasing fees, even if it’s minimal, is not the right thing.”