Varsities can't impose fee for revision of syllabus by autonomous colleges

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has ordered that universities cannot impose fee for revision of syllabus by autonomous colleges. It said universities are empowered to impose fee for recognising new courses. The order was issued on a writ petition filed by the Consortium of Autonomous Colleges against such imposition by MG University. The fee imposed by MG University for revision of syllabus runs into a lakh rupees for PG courses and Rs 50,000 for UG courses. The court said that the revision of syllabus needs to be approved only by the academic council of the autonomous college.

The university only needs to record the same to see that it is in accordance with the law. Fees cannot be levied as no services are provided to the colleges. “Though the university has the power to charge fees in respect of services rendered by it, the incidence of fee has to have a correlation to some service rendered or some function carried out by the university,” the single judge said. The order also said that if no service is required to be rendered and no function is to be carried out by the university under the scheme of the university Act, fees of the nature prescribed in the case cannot be charged. The court hence set aside MG University orders in the case. The court also said that reasoned orders are to be issued by the university in individual cases considering the nature of the requests made by the autonomous colleges. The court asked the university to decide on the application on revision of syllabus in one month and inform of the same.