HYDERABAD: By Tuesday, autonomous colleges will have to pay JNTU-Hyderabad crores of rupees in the form of common services fees. The colleges say they don’t need to pay it. The university will not inspect and certify the colleges if they don’t. JNTU collects Rs 1,500 every year for each student studying from first to final year in every private engineering college for services like conducting examinations, content development, curriculum revision, staff training, university publications and website maintenance. The fee is mandatory for about 200 private engineering colleges. About 20 colleges that are autonomous have objected to the fee.
According to the Professional Accredited Colleges Association, each college has to pay between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 90 lakh depending upon the student intake. Autonomous colleges contend they do for themselves the services that JNTU is charging them for.
“UGC authorises autonomous institutions to hold exams, prepare papers, declare results, and give certificates, devising and upgrading syllabus. We spend for these activities,” said an association member. “It is undertandable to collect this fee from normal private colleges,” he said.
