New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has partially rolled back its increased hostel fee upon recommendations from a high-level committee (HLC) that was set-up by the varsity four days ago. There is now a 50 per cent reduction in utility and service charges for all students and a 75 per cent reduction in these charges for those below the poverty line (BPL).
The recommendations of the HLC came after the university received approval for an additional budget of Rs 6 crore from the University Grants Commission (UGC) Monday.
The service and utility charges have now been fixed at Rs 1,000 per month from Rs 1,700-2,000 earlier. For those in the BPL category, these charges have been reduced to Rs 500.
A circular about the rollback was sent by JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar late Monday night.
“The committee scrutinised the estimated utility and service charges in the hostels, which are Rs 2,000 per month and has recommended that Rs 1,000 may be charged from students in place of the current Rs 2,000 per month towards utility and service charges of all students,” the circular sent by the registrar read.
The circular also said the 50 per cent concession for general category students and 75 per cent for those in the BPL category should “go down well” with the student community.
The letter added: “The administration appeals to the agitating students to end their strike with immediate effect in the academic interest of their fellow students.”
Meanwhile, the government’s empowered committee, which was formed to bring a solution to the ongoing tussle between students and the administration in the fee hike matter, is yet to submit its report to the government.
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Revised hostel fee for BPL students
The administration had already reduced hostel fee charges for those in the BPL category. They will now have to pay Rs 300 for a single-seater room and Rs 150 for a double-seater room along with Rs 500 as service and utility charges. For general category students, however, the revised hostel fee charges remain the same — Rs 600 for a single-seater and Rs 300 for a double-seater room, along with Rs 1,000 as service and utility charges.
The new charges, therefore, stand at Rs 1,600 for a single-seater room and Rs 1,300 for a double-seater room per month for students in the general category. Before the rollback, these charges stood between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,300, respectively.
According to sources in the university, the administration had approached the UGC Monday for an additional budget, which was approved under a recurring grant.
Sources in the Ministry of Human Resource Development also said the budget approval was given because the university needed funds to tide over its financial crunch and clear debts. Officials from the university had told the empowered committee set-up by the ministry that the university is under huge debt, which was why it was forced to increase hostel fee.
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