GUWAHATI, Sept 24 - Resentment prevails among the students of some Gauhati University (GU) departments over the issue of abnormally high fee structures. However, highly placed GU sources told this newspaper that the Finance Committee of the University has, by this time, constituted a committee to rationalise the fee structure and it is expected to submit its report within the next three months.
The alleged faulty fee determination policy of the University has hit the students of its Sociology Department hard. They allege that among all the students of the University�s social sciences departments, each of them is to cough up the highest amount of Rs 15,340 as annual fee. Against this, students in the other social science departments of the University are paying individually an amount of Rs 5,440 on an average, as annual fee.
The students of the University�s departments of MBA, Mass Communication, etc, are also complaining of high fee. However, unlike MBA and Mass Communication, Sociology is not a professional course, argued the Sociology Department students.
The third semester students of the department refused to get themselves re-admitted this time in protest against such a high fee structure. And they are told by some University officials that even if the fee is slashed, it would not be applicable for them, alleged these students.
The course fee of the department is also much higher � Rs 13, 200 per head � whereas each of the students of the other social sciences departments of the University is to pay Rs 3,300 as course fee, alleged the Sociology Department students.
The Finance Committee of the University constituted a committee to rationalise the fee structure at its September 4, 2015 meeting. The University authorities will act as per its recommendations on the issue, said highly placed GU sources.
The sources also told this newspaper that disproportionate fee structures of the University departments have existed for long. Recently, a decision was taken by the University to effect a 10 per cent hike in the fees. But, in the face of protest from the students, the decision was rolled back. Adjustments would be made in the case of those who have already paid fees at the above hiked rate, in the days to come, sources said.
The University effects a hike in its fees every three years, the sources added.
