No move to hike central universities' fee: HRD

The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has told Lok Sabha that there was no move to increase the tuition fee at central universities "at present."

The ministry's clarification on the issue comes amid claims of various teachers associations that the new formula for implementation of the seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC) requiring the higher education institutions bear 30% of the expenditure on teachers salary from their own resources is bound to force them to pass the burden on students.

This is one of the main issues that the teachers' bodies including Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) have been raising and holding protests against the implementation of the seventh CPC in country's higher education institutions since the Central government notified the funding pattern for it in November last year.

The Centre revised the pay scales of teachers and other equivalent academic staff in the Centrally  Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) and in the higher education institutions which come under the purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The government in its notification said the Centre will reimburse 50% of the additional expenditure to be incurred by the states in paying an increased salary to the university faculties and other staff under the seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC) recommendations.

It stipulated for bearing 70% of total expenditure to be incurred in paying the revised salaries of the central government institutions.

University and college teachers lodged a protest here on Monday under the banners of the All India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO), Federation fo Central University Teachers Association and DUTA, pressing for 100% central assistance to both central and state universities among other demands.

"There is no such move of fee hike at present in the central universities," Minister of State for HRD Satya Pal Singh told the Lok Sabha in reply to a written question on Monday.

While extending the 7th CPC for non-teaching staff of the central universities which are not generating "adequate internal resources" to meet the additional financial impact, the extent of the government support "may be" more than 70% of the additional impact, "provided the nature and fund position of the central university concerned "so warrant."

"Some protests have been made against the funding pattern. However, the instruction already provides that the institutions which are not in a position to meet either 30% or any lesser amount from their internal resources, the revised pay scales are allowed after adjusting the amount realized from internal resources," he also clarified.