New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students have once again become a subject of intense public scrutiny due to their ongoing protests against the hike in hostel fee.
On Wednesday, the JNU administration announced a partial roll-back — reduction in fees for students below poverty line (BPL), with certain riders. But the students didn’t seem satisfied.
The fee hike — set to come into effect from the next academic year — will nearly double the annual fee for JNU students living in hostels from the current Rs 27,600-32,000 annually up to Rs 55,000-61,000.
The new fee includes a mufti-fold hike in room rent — from Rs 10/20 per month to Rs 300/600 per month. A new service charge of Rs 1,700 per month has also been added — taking the monthly hostel fee up to Rs 2,000-2,300. Other charges, like establishment (Rs 2,200 per annum), mess (Rs 3,000 per month) and annual fees (Rs 300) remain the same.
With the revised fee structure that will come into effect next year, JNU is set to become the most expensive central university.
Other central universities, like Allahabad University, Visva-Bharti University, Jamia Millia Islamia, among others are much cheaper. At present, JNU’s fee is on a par with most of these universities, with a few being cheaper.
The revised fee will make JNU more expensive than even Delhi University, currently at the top of the table with an annual fee of Rs 40,000- Rs 55,000, including food and accommodation.
A substantial increase in the JNU fee is because of the newly introduced service charge, which either does not exist for many universities or, is charged with the hostel fee.
Also read: Bridal-themed event being held at JNU V-C residence Saturday, students say it’s absurd
Other universities
Apart from Delhi University, other central universities largely charge an annual fee comparable to JNU.
For instance, Allahabad University students have to pay Rs 28,500 (on an average) annually for both food and accommodation. The Banaras Hindu University is cheaper, with students having to pay an average of Rs 27,400 annually. Uttar Pradesh’s other major central university, AMU, is significantly cheaper at Rs 14,400.
At Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia, the annual fee is Rs 35,000.
The Vishva-Bharti University in West Bengal charges between Rs 21,600 and Rs 30,400 annually.
Universities in south India are far cheaper. The Hyderabad University charges Rs 500 on a per-semester basis for hostel fee (Rs 1,000 annually), and around Rs 13,000 for mess, bringing the annual total to Rs 14,000. Pondicherry University charges anywhere between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,200 for the same.
On an average, the Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya in Chhattisgarh charges between Rs 22,000 and 25,200 annually.
Of the 41 central universities in India, apart from the aforementioned names, the rest charge an annual fee in the range of Rs 15,000-Rs 35,000.
Why JNU students are protesting
Students in JNU have been protesting the hike, saying it will drive out most of the students who come from underprivileged backgrounds.
According to the protesting students, around 40 per cent of the students in JNU come from the underprivileged category.
The administration, however, has justified the hike saying there hasn’t been a revision in fees in the last 19 years. According to sources in the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, financial assistance schemes will also be brought in to take care of the underprivileged category of students.
Also read: Are JNU students justified in protesting steep but long overdue fee hike?
Another shameless, biased and utterly illogical artical. No research done to properly know the costs of living across the universities, just google searching fees and posting it as a research document.
The print has always been pathetic in research and they are only interested in showing one-side of the story!
Reprehensible!
This is fake article… I am student Banaras Hindu University student. B.a. (hona) Economics
Bhu mess fee :- per dose 40-45 & nonveg 60-70
Two time veg food per month:-2400 & service charge 100-200
Hostel fee 300 per months single person.
So calculate per annum 12 *2500= 30,000
Hostel fee :- 3600
Now, it’s time to reveal the facts. Instead of shouting that so much %age hike in this fees and that fees, this security charges etc.
A true journalist should put forth all of the facts, in a table, comparing all kinds of fees in central universities, let each & every citizen know the facts whether we giving education or breeding the parasites in Universities. If at all any student is meritorious and economically weaker, yes he or she should be given all facilities. Let there be monitoring committee to check no overlong stay in the hostels even after there course completion.
Oh come on Abhishek. It says “on an average”. There are people under categories who are charged less on room, hostel fees etc.
You simply divide the total earning from students from all walks of life and divide it by the number of students.
Fake article propagation lies and deciet….First of all the data for fee Structure for other universities being compared are 5-6 yrs ago….The present status of fee is much greater….. Secondly on just increasing service charges and security money the fees is not going to get double folded…. It’s just fake and russbish article trying to support the propaganda of students and much so of the parties in opposition
A complete lie, I have been to AMU and Jamia Millia and BHU, Believe me, the tuition fee of JMI, AMU or BHU hovers around at 25,000 per semester for courses excluding hostel and mess fees. I have seen law faculty of AMU charging 45,000 excluding hostel fees which sums upto 1 lakhs overall. Please provide me the actual comparison of fees with other institutes.
The blogger is shamelessly lying. He has to come out with numbers instead of vague statements. In the financial year JNU’s expenditure is more than its income by Rs 170 Crores . This after a Capital grant of more than Rs 300 Crores.
In my opinion fee hikes are not natural for all the students…it will be fair if it could be imposed to those who didn’t pass in qualified period of degree. Fee hike should be taken as panalty for the students who are not passing in qualified time. ..,…In that case students living in the hostel since so many year should be penalised by fee hike as a multiples of year, who lives after qualified period.
Exactly
Govt should have done hike year by year so that this type is agitation will not happen. So many don’t know the truth and fact about fee hike. We Indians expect everything free. To improve quality of life it costs
This is an widely accepted fact gov.’s primary concern must be education, healthcare and employment. So fee hikes are never a good thing. But wait! Is this true just for JNU??? Other universities are charging much higher that 10 rs per month room rent and 10rs is nothing. JNU is just a central University like other ones out there. So decision of fee hike 2019 after 2000 is absolutely correct. The problem is how much the fee should be raised.I don’t know…make a committee on this and let them advise…but Not this much for sure. And why JNU only for any Gov. University or college fee should be such that a BPL can afford it…lets charge in by income of the faimly if necessary but for poors make it affordable. Other wise…. Ho chuka bharat nirman.
Why don’t people call out the wrong facts being brought out in this article and the print hasn’t even taken it down. Why does News reporting have an agenda? This is a massive loss of credibility for the print. And if people of JNU don’t want to pay a very nominal fee because everybody is underprivileged.. We should shift the campus to somewhere where the cost of the land is low and not in the heartland of delhi..because it should be the government’s decision.
JNU should be closed or handover it private universities. It a house of terrorism.
Dear Author check other news articles on the same from other authors..Most of them are saying the fees are still less compared to other universities in India..https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi8suDyr_TlAhXJto8KHatCCrEQFjAJegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hindustantimes.com%2Feducation%2Fdespite-massive-fee-hike-jnu-still-has-cheapest-hostels%2Fstory-Hc9RXyrOFRRHngUlVguj2O.html&usg=AOvVaw1gK269m0-XbDiAtCtnChp0
Most expensive central university, Haven’t heard about IITS nd IIMS, bro just see the fee and JNU guys will be so happy to afford their revised fee,
I am a DU student, I have to say that you should study before posting any thing. Hostel fees of hansraj college is about 82 to 86 thousand annual and admission fees is about 23 thousand. I am not saying that fee hike is good in JNU it’s totally wrong but you should post the real data of other universities.
I don’t believe this motivated hysteria one bit. India has enough welfare and scholarship programs for underprivileged students. None of the needy students will suffer because of the fee hike. Those who are making noise are those lefty communist freeloaders who have gotten used to living cushy lives in Delhi while staying rent free at JNU.
Hello RJ ,I respect you views but do you think that a need of fee hike is valid when the govt. bills show a significant increase in expenditure on JNU. So actually where is the money going. If you really want to know the situation you need to be a part of JNU.
Don’t beat the bush and say anything.
Close down JNU, problem solved.Its become university more for political chutiyapa. It’s not benefitting any more to nation. Sab Arvind Kejriwal ki aulad hain fukat mein mangta hai.
So what exactly they want? 10 rs room rent per month with all facilities? Even a public toilet costs 5 rupees for single use. If these morons want to live with 1981 fee structure, then its better we should give them the stipend as per 1981 standards, so also the salaries to the staff who support this nonsense.
Its a shame that adults. grown-ups and some middle aged folks sitting in an university campus wants to live on the tax payers money. Anywhere in the developed world, even a 16-yr old works part time job to support for his education. And these people cribbing about paying 4 dollars per month as a room rent in a place like Delhi. Wow. dont they have the least self respect that expects of humans?
Why can’t these super smart, highly intelligent middle aged folks who can speak on virtually any subject (from african studies to rafale jets) can apply for an education loan and support themselves? Anywhere in the world it is the basic responsibility that is expected of an university student to self finance their education either through part time jobs or education loans. But when do our JNU folks find time out of their 24×7 Dharna mode to go out and earn some money?
You may not know but in most civilised European countries education is either free or fees are nominal.
You may not know…most of the universities have to earn their money through research and work with industry. Not live on tax payers money.
Secondly, people pay very high tax in developed countries to fund their education.
Tum log na fee pay karo, na tax..bus road pey baitoo. No rational logic.
Hostel fee hike ke liye chalo parliament!! #morons.
Toh Europe me hi jaake padhle na
Unless we put an entry barrier everywhere for underprivileged how can the privileged prosper?
As per my opinion education and health not a commodity so I request to government to to provide free education and help to every citizen and I request size like our in our finance Minister and Nobel prize winner to talk the higher authorityinterest is the great analysis by kritika Sharma to analyse the whole Central University
JNU … If they dont have respect for one of greatest indian soul… my spiritual guru…my inspiration…we should close it down… rename and rebrand it….transfer all the teachers… and purge the student bodies… send the students to other varsity… even if hundreds enlightened individuals and scholars have come from that university it doesn’t matter…especially if they are commies from overated humanities and economies branches…but we should not take it lightly…if these are the values taught in the university
The costs in Delhi are higher compared to other cities. The tuition continues to be lower compared to other national universities like IITs and IIMs,
So there 60% of the students who are there who shouldn’t enjoy this subsidy. Why don’t we look at DBT for students as well? The deserving should get financial assistance not everyone.
During my MA, my neighbour hostel mate was daughter of manual scavenger, sociology student. She did tuitions to pay her fee and send to her parents. Today she is at World Bank. Ppl who write about fee has no idea what R# 600 meant to her. ( Anuradha Shukla ) . Log, qaum aur mulk is tarah uthte hain.