New Delhi: The regulatory body of technical education in the country, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had already written to the colleges and institutions to not charge for hostel, transport or other fees as they are not providing the facilities to the students.
Rajive Kumar, member secretary of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), wrote in a letter that it had received several complaints about some colleges charging fees for facilities not provided by them, according to Hindustan Times.
“AICTE has been receiving complaints from students and parents that some of the institutions are charging hostel or transport fees during Covid-19 pandemic whereas these facilities are not availed by the students. In this regard, it is advised that institutions should charge only maintenance charges of mess and transport,” Kumar said in a letter to the principals.
“All institutions/colleges are strictly advised to charge the fees commensurate with the facilities that they are providing during the pandemic and not charge fees for those portions which are not accessible to students during the coming semester, failing which action will be taken as per the prevailing rules,” the AICTE letter read.
The letter also mentioned that ensuring safety precautions for COVID-19 pandemic would be a key responsibility of all citizens.
“Likewise, heads of institutions have the onerous responsibility of safeguarding the health interests of all stakeholders of their respective colleges/institutions,” the letter further read.
About 11,000 colleges imparting technical education across India are regulated by the AICTE. More than 3,000,000 students study in these institutions.