Opting for IITs to cost 5 times more

NEW DELHI, JAN 19
Those opting for any of the 15 Indian institutes of Technology (IITs) will have to fork out Rs 2.50 lakhs a year instead of Rs 50,000 if the IIT Council that decides matters relating to these institutes approves a recommendation of the committee headed by IIT Bombay Chairman Anil Kakodkar at its meeting here on Friday.
To protect the poor students who may not be able to afford this fee hike, the committee has suggested a low interest rate educational loan scheme. The committee has, however, proposed no hike in fee for the post-graduate courses.
The council is also expected to discuss the format of the IIT joint entrance examination, based on the report of another committee headed by Science Secretary T. Ramasami that wants the Class XII marks counted while preparing the merit list that is not done now.
The five-member Kakodkar committee, formed to suggest a road map for the IITs’ autonomy and growth, wants the fees increased for the undergraduate courses to make the IITs more self-sufficient and pave the way for more autonomy.
Its report says the IITs will no longer depend on government grants for their recurring expenses, and would be able to create faculty and non-faculty posts on their own without having to seek government clearance.
It cites the IIM fee structure in this regard. The IIMs charge fees ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh a year per student for their postgraduate programmes. This allows the IIMs to pay the faculty salaries on their own; so they can create posts and fill them without having to approach the government.