CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court on Thursday that it has allowed self-financing colleges to collect fees for the present academic year in three instalments.
Private schools and colleges in the state had challenged the government order that prohibited them from collecting fees due to the pandemic lockdown.
Illango Henry Das, the joint secretary of the Higher Education department, in the affidavit submitted that the state had imposed an order on April 20 that private schools and colleges should not demand fees during the lockdown period. Schools and colleges, however, sought an interim direction restraining the authorities from directing them to follow the government order.
During the hearing, it was submitted before Justice R Mahadevan that a proposal to collect fees in the form of instalments should be considered by the government. The court also ordered the government to come out with a scheme not based on the fee fixation committee but based on the problems faced by both parents and institutions.
The education department in its affidavit submitted that the even semester examinations in all private engineering, polytechnic and arts colleges cannot be held due to the lockdown. A decision regarding the examinations is yet to be taken by the government. Hence the collection of fees does not arise.
The higher education department also said it cannot be accepted that lack of funds in schools and colleges is hurting their finances as institutions have to utilise their accumulated reserve funds for payment of salaries to staff.
It was also said that in compliance with the High Court directions, the President, All India Private Educational Institutions Association, has submitted a proposal to collect fees in three equal instalments for the present academic year in August 2020, December 2020 and April 2021.
The government after careful consideration has accepted this and permitted self-financing colleges to collect fees in accordance with the fee fixation committee's decision.
The court is slated to hear the matter on Friday.