(a) whether the Government has noticed that Government institutions charge huge donation and capitation fees directly or indirectly in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to resolve the issues of donation and capitation fees in the private institutions; and
(c) the manner in which the Government proposes to provide higher education to all eligible students?
Minister of Human Resource Development
(Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani)
(a) No, Madam.
(b) & (c) The University Grants Commission Act, 1956 provides that no candidate secures admission to such course of study by reason of economic power. The UGC has issued regulations from time to time to Deemed to be Universities –
(i) not to accept any payment other than fee or such charges, except in accordance with the Fee Regulations framed by the Government or by the UGC, which shall be declared by the Institute in the prospectus for admission and on its website;
(ii) not to accept any payment without a proper receipt in writing to the concerned student; and
(iii) the level of the fee charged shall have a reasonable relation to the cost of running the course.
In case of Central or State Universities, fees are fixed and regulated by the appropriate bodies created under the relevant Acts, Statutes and Ordinances.
UGC monitors the standards of education through visits by expert committee. Reports of this committee include observation on the fee structure. In case the committees find that the fee structure is unusually high, the institutions are asked to submit clarification/justification.
All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has called upon students, parents and the general public not to pay any capitation fee or any other fee other than that mentioned in the Prospectus of the institutions for consideration of admission through advertisement/public notice from time to time. Aggrieved students/parents can send their complaint to Grievance Redressal Committee of the Institution and, if not satisfied with the decision of the Committee, they can send appeal to the Ombudsman.
In order to provide higher education to all deserving cases, Government has introduced several scholarship schemes, including tuition fee waiver, for the disadvantage sections of the population and students with special needs.
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