NASHIK: As there was a demand from students for the last several months and instructions from the higher education department, the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) administration issued a circular to reduce academic fees. The circular issued on Thursday has directed more than 700 affiliated colleges to reduce fees for the current academic year.
As per the instructions given, a hundred per cent of fees will be waived for students who have lost at least a parent to Covid-19. As colleges charge fees under several heads, a detailed break-up has been provided for which fees are to be reduced by what percentage through the notification. As per the university directions, the tuition fee has been kept as it is.
The other heads including college magazine fees, industrial visit fees, deposits like caution money, library or other deposits, fees under heads like health checkups, disaster management, Ashwamedh (competition) fees have been waived off totally. The university has allowed a 50 per cent reduction in fees for facilities like library, laboratory, gymkhana, computer, extracurricular activity.
There will also be a 75 per cent reduction in student welfare fees and a 25 per cent reduction in examination fees and development funds. The SPPU administration put the proposal for reducing fees before its management council in a meeting conducted on June 26. Thereafter a committee was set up under the chairmanship of principal Sudhakar Jadhav.
Vice-chancellor Dr Nitin Karmalkar has accepted the report sent by the committee. Colleges have been instructed that the reduction in the fees is only for the current academic year. The colleges or institutions should give installment options to poor and needy students on receiving their written applications.