Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 23: Up in arms against purported Jammu University move to introduce tuition fee for all courses from the next academic session, students in various colleges across Jammu division held protest demonstration.
The protest demonstrations were held at Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Poonch, Doda and Kathua, under the banner of National Secular Forum (NSF).
Addressing a similar protest at MAM College, NSF president Dr Vikas Sharma said that the JU authorities were secretly taking an Agenda Item to the scheduled University Council Meet on October 24, 2017 seeking introduction of tuition fee for UG, PG, M Phil and Ph D programmes for each and every year from academic session 2018-19. “Introduction of tuition fee @ Rs 3000/- for Science Subjects and Rs 2000/- for Non-Science Subjects over and above the annual hike of 10 percent in fee every year since 2014, will put extra burden on thousands of students studying in PG departments and colleges affiliated to Jammu University,” he added.
The NSF leader revealed that JU spent Rs 2.35 on account of Electricity Charges in 2015-16 which jumped to over 200 percent i.e. Rs 5 crores in succeeding year (2016-17). “Similarly, the bill paid towards Water Charges rose nearly 400 percent i.e. from 70 lakh in 2015-16 to Rs 2.50 crore in 2016-17. Besides, lakhs of rupee were also spent on account of Telephone Bills and Mobile Bill remuneration to officials,” he added.
Vehemently opposing introduction of tuition fee, Dr Sharma demanded the withdrawal of said resolution of University Syndicate which he termed as anti-student.
He also urged Chairman (Governor N N Vohra) and members of University Council, including Chief Minister, Higher Education Minister, Financial Advisor, Commissioner Higher Education, Deans and eminent Educationists not to give their nod to this unilateral move of Jammu University.
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