Pune: The state department of higher and technical education has issued notices to universities and colleges in Maharashtra to disclose fee structure on an immediate basis following complaints from students regarding lack of transparency in fees charged by institutions of higher learning. The notice was issued by state director of technical education Vinod Mohitkar. Students seeking admission to various professional courses in Maharashtra have complained to the state education department regarding non-transparency in disclosure of fees for various courses either on websites or notice boards of colleges and universities.
Students have demanded in their letter to the state govt that all grant-in-aid and private universities, deemed universities, and their affiliated educational institutions and senior colleges disclose the fees charged for each course in the current academic year and the various heads under which they are charged. Rashi Muchhal, a student representative who submitted the letter to the CET Cell, said, "While making our choice of colleges, we always compare the course content offered by them. At the same time, fees play an important role.
To compare the courses, colleges should have the fees disclosed on their site readily for reference. So many colleges have not put up the fee structure. Hence, we have written to the education department to send reminders to them to make it convenient for students.
" Student organisations have demanded that all grant-in-aid and private universities, deemed universities, and their affiliated educational institutions and senior colleges disclose the fees charged for each course in the current academic year and the criteria followed for determining these fees. They alleged that universities and senior colleges were evading the provision of this information and demanded that it be made available on college websites and notice boards. A statement regarding the demand to immediately publish information about fees for all courses by universities in Maharashtra on the websites and notice boards of universities and colleges was handed over by Dipu Foundation's founder president Amar Ekad to Mohitkar on September 16, 2024.
Ekad said, "Educational institutions offering various types of education, including professional and traditional courses, are required to post the fee information for their available courses on their websites and notice boards. However, with few exceptions, most institutions have not disclosed any information about the fees charged to students for the academic year. The unregulated fee collection business by these colleges will grow if action is not taken immediately.
" The student organisation plans to hold a "Thali Naad" demonstration on September 20 in support of its demand that all universities and colleges publish the fee information for all courses on their websites and notice boards. According to a govt resolution dated June 27, 2005, colleges are instructed to reimburse the fees for tuition, laboratory, library, extra activities, magazine, registration, computer practical, and exams for students from backward classes as per the rates determined by the university. Despite the mandate to charge fees as set by the university and the fee regulatory authority at the time of admission, many colleges have collected additional fees, the students alleged.
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