Dear Students,
LAST WEEK WE ASKED: Do you think IITs should go in for a fee increase every year like other engineering institutes?
BEST RESPONSE
Being the premier educational institutions, IITs need to be independent and sustainable. The tuition fee is paid only by about 50 per cent of the under-graduate students exempting SC/ST students and all other students who have an annual parental income less than Rs 4.5 lakh. Moreover, prices of everything including electricity, laboratory material, supplies, and software have gone up and the costs must be mitigated so as to provide students with best facilities of technical education. Availability of easy loans and high placement offers are the other reasons IITs should go in for a hike but with a review every year.
- Debayan Daw, ITM University, Gurgaon.
OTHER RESPONSES:
IITs should not go for a fee increase every year as all engineers dream of being into IIT whether they can afford it or not. There are many students whose affordability decreases due to hikes in fee every year. Also cost of living has gone up in couple of years making these colleges just a dream for many students. Even though scholarships are being awarded in IITs they merely help students. Many students commit suicide for not being selected/admitted to IITs so fee hikes would add up more to the woes of students and their families.
- Hetal Porwal, IBS Ahmedabad.
On one side we are talking to increase skilled workforce and on the other side we are deterring it by not providing affordable education platform.In top most colleges of India it should be free education as well as free research environment should be provided without discriminating students on the base of cast factor.
- Kirit Ghodasara, IBS-Ahmedabad.
Institutes like IITs are pioneer institutes in the engineering in India. Systematic, hardcore knowledge with exposure to different cultures and cope up with the pace of international standards in engineering field should be the prime target of the institute. In order to match the standards set if fees has to be increased it is no matter but education quality should not be compromised for fees.
- Jimit Parikh, St. Kabir Institute of Professional Studies, Ahmedabad.
Hiking the tuition fee will not reduce JEE registrations. Moreover, by hiking fee IITs need not depend on government grants for recurring expenses, making themselves self sufficient and pave the way for more autonomy. But the challenge for IITs will remain for the rural students in making them access to the campus. Because in current scenario its attracting almost every section of society, but later it might not able to achieve this due to regular fee hike.
- Furkan Ahmedabad, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Delhi University.
Though IIT directors have been stating that they are spending a lot money for a tuition fees of a student in a year. But instead of sudden large amount of hike in fee, they should increase the fees for small amount every year if the costs are more for them.
- Vishal Rajai, St. Kabir Institute of Professional Studies, Ahmedabad.
IITs are indeed a dream come true for many. However, every 'dream' has its own cost. At a time when everything under the sky is becoming dearer, how can the 'hallowed' institutes be left behind. But there needs to be a rationale behind the price hike-to provide a better quality service- and not for the sake of increasing it. Financial support can also be provided should one require it keeping in mind the 'fat' packages one gets on graduating from there.
- Abhirup Dutta, IISWBM Kolkata.
A yearly fee hike for the IITs would be a prudent decision and one that makes economic sense. At the same time, if raising the fee yearly becomes a necessity then the changes it brings about should also be visible. Innovation in the form of tie-ups with R&D is the need of the hour. Along with this structural changes such as establishing more IITs, raising the annual intake of students and increasing the student-teacher ratio should be on the agenda. A yearly fee hike is a welcome decision as long as it's a part of the bigger picture.
- Vasudeo Tewari, Birla Institute of Management Technology, (BIMTECH) ,Greater Noida.
What do Narayan Murthy, Vinod Khosla, Arun Sarin have in common? They all are IIT pass-outs and believe that IIT education was a turning point in their lives. IIT students tell beyond the bricks that hike in fees is a positive effect as this will let go the institute’s financial woes and as they have better salaries than other engineering students so they can even repay the loans easily.
- Satwik Kant, Birla Institute of Management and Technology, Greater Noida.
Belonging from a middle class family, I know the importance of each penny. The institution should choose their students based on academic and co-curricular achievements rather than based on high donations and nepotism. If obstacle like this fee hike continues, this will keep most of the section of society deprived of higher education. Thus deserved candidate’s potential will remain untapped. Even though loans are not easily given away so for me it’s a serious concern.
- Lakshmi MS, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Delhi University.
It would be complete bizarre to expect a fee hike every year from Indian premier institutes like IITs known far and wide for their quality of technical education. A better proposition, like maintaining a certain gap of years for an increase in fees, could be coined to meet the expenses made per individual student. It would be simply unwarranted to lose a talent just because of his inability to pay the fees. It would be commendable if IITs could work out a balance, thereby having minimum fees to provide maximum resources, also without compromising on the talented students.
- Shivam Chhabra, Integral University, Lucknow.
Subsidies are meant for those who can’t afford to pay. But In India it has been tradition to provide blanket subsidy to all as finding intended beneficiary is a gruesome task. But, in IITs its very easy to find students who hail from poor families and from rich families, so it's in a country interest that rich students should pay the actual fee not subsidized one, hence IITs should go in for a fee increase every year. Anyway SC/ST, and those whose parents income fall below Rs 4.5 lakhs is exempted from fee payment.
- Nilaya Mitash Shanker, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.
The fee increase by IITs should not be on the basis of trend which is followed by other engineering students but on the reliable basis and it should be justifiable too.An increase in the fees structure will not only increase the financial burden on students but also de-motivate the young minds also. In fact IITs should search for other alternatives like government aids,sponsorship rather than just mere increase in fees.
- Harsh Mehta, St. Kabir Institute of Professional Studies, Ahmedabad.
Considering the fact that IITs are the most sought after engineering institutes in India, the IITs should not increase the fees according to its own whims and fancies. This in turn can influence other institutes to take a similar step which can affect the student community at large. The decision taken by the HRD ministry to hike fees by 80% this year needs to be justified. If the IITs are to be sustainable, the fee hike is certainly not the only option. If there is a fee hike, then students should get additional benefits as well.
- Aparna Nagarajan, Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bangalore.
Your responses should reach us at edu@business-standard.com by Monday evening every week. Please ensure that your responses do not exceed 100 words. Avoid attachments and email your full name, institute's name, batch and complete mailing address. The student who gives the 'Best Response' will be awarded Rs 500.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Do you think more skills varsities should be launched to enhance employability?
