Tuition fees for B.Tech and M.Tech courses at the National Institutes of Technology
could be raised to Rs. 50,000 a year from the 2012-13 academic year
The council of the NITs, the body to decide such matters,
today considered a proposal to hike fees from the Rs. 35,000 the institutes charge
at present. "The proposal is under consideration. The NIT council will take a decision
in its next meeting in November," a source said.
There are 30 NITs in the country. Earlier known as Regional Colleges of Engineering,
these are seen as second-rung institutions after the IITs. They admit about 12,000
students at the B.Tech and M.Tech levels.
The IITs charge Rs. 50,000 a year in fees. A committee under Anil Kakodkar had recently
suggested raising the annual fees in IITs to Rs. 2.25 lakh. The IIT council, the
apex body to decide such matters, will consider the suggestion in its next meeting.
In the NITs, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students will continue to get fee
exemption as before, the proposal said. Needy students will be given education loans
without being asked to deposit any collateral security.
The NIT council meeting, chaired by HRD minister Kapil Sibal, approved a proposal
to raise the age limit of NIT directors from 65 to 70 years. The ministry has already
increased the age limit of IIT directors and central university vice chancellors
from 65 to 70 years.
To attract foreign students, the council has approved a proposal to conduct the
All India Engineering Entrance Examination online at certain centres in foreign
countries.
The council also decided to undertake a review of the functioning of NITs
and suggest a road map to achieve excellence in teaching and research. A committee
under Kakodkar may be set up to carry out the review.
Courtesy: Telegraph India
