In a bid to defuse the controversy around the alleged ‘400 per cent’ hike in the fees of the Allahabad University, its Vice Chancellor stated yesterday, on September 21, that the the hype around the issue is baseless.
“The 30-40 students who have chosen to disrupt the campus by falsehood are trying to ruin the academic environment of Allahabad University. The complaint of the students is misdirected.A mountain is being created out of a molehill and is much ado about nothing. A great seat of learning is being destroyed because some nefarious elements are trying to unnecessarily politicise the issue.There is a concerted effort to mislead the students and spread misinformation,” Sangita Srivastava, the Vice Chancellor, was quoted in a press statement.
Also Read: Allahabad University protest explained: How fee hike led to students’ stir & the way ahead
Srivastava also provided the month-wise break up of the fees hike in Allahabad University.
“The fee per student per year for the past several decades was Rs 975/- If you divide this in 12 months it comes to Rs 81/- per month. “Now the AU fee has been enhanced to Rs 4151/- per year. If it is divided into 12 months it comes to Rs 333/- per month. The process has gone through a rigorous process of deliberation and decision making at several levels of Finance Committee, Academic Council and Executive Council,” the Vice Chancellor added.
Srivastava added that the protesting students must check for themselves which educational institutions is giving quality education ‘at a low fee of Rs 333/- only per month’. She explained that the fee has been increased only to combat the inflation which has happened in the past decades, that too because for unknown reasons it was not enhanced each year as per the rate of inflation in the country.
Also, she was quoted in the press statement that the fees for the underprivileged sections of the society shall be waived off. “Those who are so poor and are orphaned in Covid, Iam giving my word, the University shall waive the entire fee for them. Whatever funds are” collected will help the University provide better facilities to the students,” she was quoted.
Meanwhile, protests against the fee hike have continued unabated ever since the decision on August 31.
