MICA to up fees by 10 per cent

Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) plans to hike fees by 10 per cent from the next academic year. The institute will also asked all fresh students to procure a laptop of their own.

"We plan to hike fees at the nominal rate of 5 to 10 per cent in the next academic session to meet the inflation cost. From the next session, each student is required to possess a lap top of his own as most of the projects are required to be done in computers," said K G K Pillai, Registrar, MICA.

At present, MICA students pay over Rs two lakh, which is higher than all the six IIMs in the country and almost double the fee charged by IIM-Kozikode.

When asked about the controversy between Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and IIMs over the fee issue, Pillai said: "The government should not interfere in the functioning of institutes of higher education. Instead, it should subsidise education at the primary level. The ministry's move is not in favour of the students."

MICA was set up in the year 1991 as an autonomous non-profit making academic institution, recognised by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. Post Graduate Programme in Communication Management is the two year residential flagship programme offered by the institute.

However, the institute has recently introduced various short-term courses. "Ever since inception in the year 1991, MICA has earned the distinction of having 100 per cent placements. The students of MICA are working in top MNCs, leading marketing and media agencies and in all communication driven business. The average salary of the students of the last batch was around Rs 3.5 lakhs, while the highest salary was Rs 8.5 lakh. This year we had over 125 job offers for batch of around 90 students," said Pillai.

"All the scheduled banks provide educational loans to deserving candidates and the students of MICA. However, the selection of the beneficiaries is exclusive prerogative of the banks. More over there are various scholarships instituted for the needy and deserving students at MICA," said Pillai.