New Delhi: The austerity measures taken by
the government could lead to increase in tuition fee,
withdrawal of hostel subsidies and levy of user fees from
students in the central universities, IITs, IIMs and other
autonomous educational institutions.
The HRD Ministry has issued a direction to the autonomous
and statutory bodies under its control, including IITs and
central universities, to explore the option of generating
resources by revising tuition fee of students and levying
charges for using certain facilities.
"Given the constraints of resources leading to mandatory
cuts in non-salary expenditure, it is expected that the
institutions would make efforts to generate additional
resources by gradual revision of tuition fees, levy of user
fees, withdrawal of hostel subsidies and other measures,"
Higher Education Secretary R P Agrawal said in the direction.
The ministry has said that there shall be mandatory cut of
10 per cent in non-plan expenditure in 2009-10. The cut will
be realised from the expenses on domestic and foreign travel,
publications, advertising and publicity and office expenses.
The other portion of non-plan expenditure, excluding
salary and pension, will be subjected to five per cent
mandatory cut, the direction said.
The institutions should organise seminars and conferences
where they are "absolutely necessary" and will not be allowed
to purchase vehicles.
Projects like construction of buildings should be strictly
monitored to ensure that there is no time or cost overrun, the
direction said.
The autonomous bodies are free to evolve their own
austerity measures. The direction has been issued to the heads
of all autonomous and statutory bodies under the HRD Ministry.
The direction was issued after the Finance Ministry issued
a set of guidelines for better expenditure management.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, September 17, 2009, 19:45