Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay has instructed universities to charge examination fees only as per the rates fixed in the government order. A warning has been given to audit the universities charging high fees and take action. The government is emphasizing on making education affordable and student friendly.
Lucknow. The Uttar Pradesh government is continuously taking steps to make the education system more accessible, affordable and transparent. In this direction, State Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay has given clear instructions to all the universities of the state that the examination fees should be charged only as per the rates fixed in the government order. If any university is found charging more than the prescribed fee, it will be audited and necessary action can also be taken.
Review meeting regarding fees in Lucknow University
On Monday, Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay held a review meeting in his office in the Legislative Assembly regarding the charging of fees by Lucknow University and its affiliated colleges other than the government mandate. In this meeting, many issues related to fee structure, examination fees and financial management of universities were discussed in detail. Officials and university representatives also presented their views.
Action will be taken if charging more than the prescribed fee
During the meeting, Minister Yogendra Upadhyay said that it is mandatory for all state universities to charge examination fees as per the government order. If any institution charges more than the prescribed fee, its financial audit can be conducted and appropriate action will be taken if found guilty. He also instructed the universities to maintain financial discipline.
Students’ interest is paramount, universities should avoid unnecessary fee increases
The Higher Education Minister said that the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is working to make education student friendly. He said that unnecessary increase in fees makes it difficult for economically weaker students to continue their studies. Therefore, universities should give priority to the interest of students while deciding the fees.
Examination fee fixed for various courses
According to the order issued by the government, to keep the examination fees uniform in state universities, the per semester fee has been fixed for different courses. The examination fee has been fixed at Rs 800 per semester for courses like BA, BSc, BCom, BBA, BCA, B.Ed, B.P.Ed, BJMC, BFA and B.Voc.
Whereas for courses like LLB, B.Sc Agriculture (Hons), B.Tech and Biotech, the fee has been fixed at Rs 1000 per semester. Apart from this, the examination fee for courses like BDS, Nursing, BAMS and BUMS has been fixed at Rs 1500 per semester.
Emphasis was also laid on universities becoming self-reliant
Minister Yogendra Upadhyay said that universities should completely follow the government order and maintain financial discipline. He also advised the institutions to strengthen their resources, start new courses and work towards better financial management, so that the universities can become self-reliant.
Officials and representatives put forward suggestions in the meeting
During the meeting, officials and university representatives also gave their suggestions on the financial condition of the universities, problems related to examination conduct and their possible solutions. The minister said that the Yogi government is ready to provide all possible support, understanding the real needs of the universities, but following the government orders will remain mandatory for all the institutions. In this meeting, MLC Umesh Dwivedi, Avnish Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary M.P. Aggarwal, Secretary Amrit Tripathi, Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University Prof. Many officials and university representatives including Jai Prakash Saini were present.