Delhi University Increases Fees for B.Tech, Law, and PhD Courses
New Delhi [India], July 26: Delhi University (DU) has announced fee hikes for several undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including B.Tech, Law, and PhD programs. The university describes these increases as routine and not a significant burden on students.
Details of the Fee Hikes
For the new session, first-year B.Tech students will see a 3.7% increase in fees, rising from Rs 2.16 lakh to Rs 2.24 lakh. The five-year integrated law program will experience a 5% hike, with fees increasing from Rs 1.90 lakh to Rs 1.99 lakh. The most significant increase is in PhD courses, with a 60.2% rise, taking fees from Rs 4,450 to Rs 7,130.
University’s Stance
An official from DU stated, “This is a routine increase of the fee. Every year we raise the fee by 5-6 per cent. It is not a big issue. For the B.Tech programme, we are giving fee waivers to students whose parents’ income comes under certain categories.”
Criticism and Concerns
Teachers and members of the Executive Council have criticized the fee hikes, arguing that they are meant to repay loans from the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). Aman Kumar, a member of the Executive Council, stated, “Continuous enhancement of the fee structure of various programmes is strongly condemnable. One of the reasons students opt for DU is its fee structure. But in the past two years, DU has started introducing courses with high fee structures and even increased them. When the central government should solely be responsible for education and health, the present government is reducing its budget allocation for education and directing universities to opt for self-financing courses. This constitutes the commercialization and privatisation of university education.”
International Students
Fees for some courses for foreign students have also been increased. However, many international students will benefit from discounted fees for DU’s MA Hindu Studies programme. Additionally, Tibetan applicants will be exempt from registration and additional fees.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi University -: Delhi University is a famous university in India where many students go to study different subjects.
B.Tech -: B.Tech stands for Bachelor of Technology. It’s a course where students learn about engineering and technology.
Law -: Law is a subject where students learn about rules and regulations that help keep society fair and just.
PhD -: PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. It’s the highest level of study where students do a lot of research on a specific topic.
fee hikes -: Fee hikes mean that the cost of studying at the university has increased.
undergraduate -: Undergraduate courses are the first level of university studies, like B.Tech.
postgraduate -: Postgraduate courses are advanced studies that you do after completing an undergraduate course, like a PhD.
routine -: Routine means something that happens regularly or is expected to happen.
fee waivers -: Fee waivers mean that some students don’t have to pay the full fees, usually because they come from families with less money.
critics -: Critics are people who don’t agree with something and say why they think it’s wrong.
loans -: Loans are amounts of money that you borrow and have to pay back later.
self-financing -: Self-financing means that the university has to find its own money to pay for things, instead of getting money from the government.