Roll back fee hike in govt engg colleges, demands student org

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) Karnataka state committee on Saturday condemned the Rs 15,000 fee hike in government Engineering Colleges in two years. AIDSO Karnataka State Secretary Ajay Kamath demanded that the increase be rolled back.

“AIDSO Karnataka State Committee demands the state government to immediately withdraw fee hike and revoke its policy of increasing fees every academic year,” he said. He added that the increase in fee had been a regular feature in years past.

“Continuing its policy of increasing government engineering college fees, Karnataka state government has increased Rs 5,000 fees this academic year as well. Last year, the government had increased the fees by Rs 10,000! So, in two years the fees have been increased by Rs 15,000! This anti-student move of the government is a reflection to open commercialisation advocated by the government!” Kamat said.

“This year, without giving any notice, in an undemocratic way the government has gone ahead and increased the fees! When students were asked to pay the fees, they were shocked to see the hike! On the one hand students are reeling under an unprecedented economic crisis, on the other hand, the government is constantly either increasing the fees or reducing scholarship amount.

This has resulted in gradual decrease of students opting for higher education. If government engineering fees keep increasing every year, lakhs of students belonging to poor and lower middleclass families, must let go of their dream to become engineers,” he added. Kamat also called upon students to develop a “powerful movement” against this fee hike.