Allow Easy Fee Instalments, Don't Sack Faculty, Share Campus Facilities: AICTE to Colleges

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has asked colleges to allow students to pay their fees in small installments as well as asked higher education institutes to not withhold salaries of staff and faculty. The Council says it has received, grievances from both the staff and students. While the faculty is being either terminated or not getting their salaries, students are being insisted on paying the full-year or full-term fees in one go, state the complaint.

In light of the concerns, the AICTE has asked colleges to consider the pandemic as a “national emergency” and asked heads of the institutes to have “onerous responsibility of safeguarding the health and associated interests of all stakeholders of their respective colleges/institutions.” The AICTE has issued guidelines on this front for colleges.

The AICTE has asked colleges not to insist on full fee payment and allow 3-4 equal installments to students till normalcy is restored. It has asked all colleges to display information regarding installment facilities on their website and communicate to all students through email.

In its notice, AICTE stated, “There shall be NO termination of faculty without enough disciplinary ground and due process of redressal. Salary and other dues to the faculty or staff members shall be released monthly on time and also terminations (if any) made during the lockdown shall be withdrawn. This is to comply strictly.”

To ensure the interest of colleges, AICTE has asked institutes that have resources to assist those with no or limited resources. “Due to the inability of certain students to access internet services, colleges or institutions are advised to allow students of other colleges or institutions in their vicinity to access the internet facility,” said AICTE.

Further, colleges are asked to y permit students of other colleges/ institutions to share their campus internet wi-fi facility against showing i-card of a college where they are studying. Attendance rule may be relaxed in the light of lockdown and non-availability of bandwidth in certain remote areas

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