Existing IIT M Tech Students Exempted From Tuition Fee Hike: Govt

New Delhi: The Centre on Sunday said that the proposed tuition fee hike for IIT M Tech students will not be applicable for the existing batches.

In a clarification to various news reports, a statement issued by the HRD Ministry said the hike will be gradual for new admissions and will be implemented in a staggered fashion spread over three years and more. The process of implementation will be decided by the IITs individually.

The statement said needy students will be provided necessary financial support and all concessions and scholarships for SC, ST and OBC students will continue to remain in vogue.

The IIT council, which met here last Friday, decided to hike the tuition fee on a per-student cost basis and bring it on par with B Tech course. This, in effect, raised the tuition fee by 900 per cent, from about 15,000-25,000 to 7 lakh per annum.

Reasons for the fee hike

The fee hike will discourage non-serious students, who after a few months of stay in IITs, leave the programme midway to take up employment or prepare for competitive exams.

This drop out in the middle of the programme leads to wastage of coveted seats on the one hand and denies an opportunity to other serious and meritorious students, on the other, the statement said.