Fees for M.Tech courses has been hiked for students in IITs after the decision was passed in this regard by IIT council. The Fee hike is being considered as propaganda to retain only dedicated students and avoid admission of the students who would generally drop out of the post-graduation programme.
On Friday, 28th September, a 3 member committee of IIT council passed a firm decision to increase the fees of M. Tech courses in the IITs to match them with B. Tech course fees. The committee headed by HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has passed the resolution to increase the fees by 10 times.
Prof. B.S. Murty (Director, IIT Hyderabad), Prof. Manoj S. Gaur (Director, IIT Jammu) and Prof. M. Balakrishnan(IIT Delhi) were part of the three-member committee.
However, after a lot of misconception & controversy uprooted after the news regarding whether the changed fee structure will be applicable for existing students. To clarify this, another announcement was made by officials from the committee that the increased fees of M. Tech courses in IIT will not be applicable for existing students and is only for new admission. They will continue to pay fees as per the existing structure.
“There is no fee hike for the existing students. For new admissions, the hike will be gradual over three years or more, as will be decided by the respective Board of Governors of IITs,” the Human Resource Development Ministry said in a statement.
“All concessions and scholarships for SC/ST/OBC and others will continue without change. 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 to prepare for competitive exams,” it added.
Further, the 10 times increase in the fees will not be in effect from the very next session only. Every IIT will take a call on increasing the fees annually. Currently, IITs charge anywhere between ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 as tuition fees for M. Tech programmes. However, this figure would go up to ₹2 lakh gradually as per the decision of the committee. This has been sought to recommend all IITs to charge a uniform fee structure for M.Tech programmes and to match the fees standard of B Tech programmes.
Another primary reason for the fees hike decision is that students opting for M. Tech courses would generally drop out of the course in between if they got get job placements.
Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi showed his support for the council decision in a Facebook post. His post concluded that the fees hike is a Surgical Strike on the ‘Uninterested’ dropout students.
He explained that more than 50% of students admitting for the M. Tech courses drop in between excusing about getting a job placement. Most of the students would be preparing for competitive exams like UPSC and would have only applied for the course a sidekick engagement or a cushion course, that in case if they don’t make it to UPSC.
The HRD ministry said that 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 to prepare for competitive exams.
The dropout agenda hinders the management system of the institute. As a result, the IIT council established a committee in this regard. The hiked fee structure will render commitment from the students for the course and it will filter the aspirants at the time of admission only. Those who are sincerely dedicated to the course would only apply for it.
IIT Madres comprehended on the views of IIT Council & Rao’s opinion with the relevance of fee hike with dropping out of students on Twitter:
They further, clarified that the meritorious students will continue to enjoy their scholarships”:
