The Hindu : Steep hike likely in Karnataka college fees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Steep hike likely in Karnataka college fees

By A. Jayaram

Bangalore Feb. 10. Parents and students have to be prepared for a steep increase in college fees from the pre-university course upwards as the Karnataka Government is thinking of introducing an "Exit Policy" for colleges receiving grant-in-aid.

The Government has made the move even as the managements of private unaided professional colleges are threatening to increase the fees charged for the engineering, dental, and medical courses following the October 31, 2002 Supreme Court judgment on minority and non-minority educational institutions.

A committee of senior officials headed by the former Additional Chief Secretary, M. B. Prakash, has placed for discussion a proposal to phase out the grant-in-aid system in five years in respect of colleges in cities which are more than 10 years old and colleges in rural areas which are more than 15 years old. However, new institutions will be extended grant-in-aid if they satisfy the stipulation of having a minimum 25 per cent of members of the managing committee from among SCs and STs.

In the place of the existing salary grant system for teachers, a student-centred grant system based on the number of them appearing for final examination from each institution will be introduced in respect of the existing as well as new colleges to be brought under the grant-in-aid scheme. While the salary and allowances of the members of the staff of the colleges shall not be reduced, the institutions will be given powers to collect higher fees from their students.

The policy, which is still under the discussion stage, will assume final shape by March 1 when the committee of officials will submit its report to the Government for action.

The new policy would apply to engineering, B.Ed, pre-university, law, arts, general degree, Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, and physical education colleges, teachers' training institutes, and polytechnics.

However, the committee has favoured continuation of the existing policy of collecting lower fees from SC and ST students. New institutions opened in backward regions would get a one-time development grant. The Government would be opening high schools in the new extensions of urban areas and in villages.

The Chief Minister, S. M. Krishna while presenting the Budget for 2002-03 had stated that the grant-in-aid scheme for educational institutions would be reviewed comprehensively. The committee noted that the Government was spending Rs. 912.53 crores a year on grants to educational institutions.

The Federation of University and College Teachers' Associations in Karnataka has protested against the proposals made by the committee and demanded that the Government reject it outright. The President of the Federation, Ravindra Reshme, and the General Secretary, S. M. Sangameshwar, said there was the danger of the Government incorporating the recommendations of the committee in the Budget for 2003-04. The implementation of the proposals would sound death-knell for private aided degree colleges in particular which were already faced with the problem of attracting students. They urged the legislators, especially those representing teachers and graduates in the Legislative Council, to stop the Government from accepting the recommendations of the committee.

Prof. Reshme said the teachers in the State should be prepared for a protest campaign against the dangerous move. He recalled that following their protests, the Government withdrew the decision in February 2001 to effect a 15 per cent cut in grants to higher education and modified the decision to bifurcate composite colleges (pre-university and degree) in August 2002. The Government relented on its decision to stop grants for vacant posts of teachers in the aided colleges.

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