PATNA: In a one of its kind move aimed at expressing humanitarian concern and providing financial relief, many higher educational institutions of Bihar, including the state's prestigious Patna Women's College, have decided to waive the college fees of students, who have lost either their parents or any earning members oftheir families because of COVID-19 this time.
Anugrah Narayan College in Patna made the first announcement to waive fees for the students who have lost their parents due to COVID-19. College prinicpal SP Shahi said that the decision by the college was taken in order to provide financial relief and stop college dropout of students who had lost their parents due to COVID-19.
"A committee of teachers has been made to collect details on the students who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 and facilitate procedure to waive off their fees. This will provide a kind of financial relief as well as help them not leaving college education because of the monetary problem," the principal said.
After AN College, the Patna Women's College also issued a notice declaring that the college will provide financial support to those students, who have lost the earning members of their families due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Patna Women's college prinicipal Dr Sister M Rashmi AC has requested the heads of departments to find out and submit the details of such students by June 20, so that their college fees can be waived off.
Similarly, principal of north Bihar's prestigious LS College in Muzaffarpur Dr OP Roy also said that he was also considering waiving the college fees of those students who have lost their parents or earning family members due to pandemic.
Principal of Hajipur-based RN College Dr Ravi K Sinha also said that he had written to the registrar of BBA Bihar University to ensure fee wavier to students who have lost their parents or earning family members due to COVID-19. "Our college will take suo motu decision on it in a day or two," he said.
Shaymal Ahmad - national president of Private Schools and Children Welfare Association - said that he had also made an appeal to the owners of private schools to waive the school fees of all those students who have either lost their parents or earning members of their family in the COVID-19 pandemic.