Chennai: Students of IIT-Madras have said the Centre's decision to hike fees in IITs will force them to obtain loans and quit research.
Officials of ministry of human resources development said a decision had been taken to raise the course fee in IITs from Rs 90,000 to Rs 2 lakh per year. As per the decision, all students in undergraduate courses have to pay Rs 2 lakh from next academic year.
The move to hike the fees more than 100 per cent has left IIT students across the country agitated. Talking to DC, students of IIT-M wondered whether the premier institutions were meant only for the rich.
Read: Study in IIT costlier by 122 per cent as annual fees hiked from Rs 90K to 2 lakh
Abhinav Surya, fourth year student of Mechanical Engineering department, said “The government is clearly following an agenda of the corporate and putting the burden on common people. They are out to implement the WTO pact, which makes education a commodity. This move will make IIT students to take huge loans. To repay the loans they would have to join corporate companies immediately. They will not do any research work.”
K. Swaminathan, studying fifth year in applied mechanics, said with the new hike, the total expenditure will touch around Rs 11 lakh which is equal to the fee structure in private engineering colleges. “Talented rural students cannot pursue studies in IITs because of the fee hike.” “Why should the government give subsidy to the rich,” asks Saikat Chakraborty, a Ph.D. student. Arya Prakash, MA (HSS) final year student in IIT-M, said,” IIT is the destination for anyone who has found his or her passion in science and technology. Getting into IIT is a process that starts with expensive coaching institutions at the school level.” He said by increasing the fees, the government was shattering the dreams of middle class and upper-middle class families.
