NITs to increase student fee

‘Hand Holding’ scheme for under-performing students proposed

Warangal: The student fee being charged at 31 NITs (National Institutes of Technology) in the country was said to be increased from existing Rs 70,000 to Rs 1, 25,000 per annum.

A proposal in this connection was made at the ninth meeting of The Council of NITs and IISERs held at NIT Warangal in Kazipet on Thursday to cover recurring non-plan expenditure of NITs.

The meeting was chaired by Union HRD minister Smriti Irani.The Council accepted the proposal with a condition that students should be facilitated with bank loans at zero interest rate and requested the Ministry to coordinate with Ministry of Finance for easy availability of loans to students while the government bears interest cost.

It might be noted that the Council is the highest decision making body for the 31 NITs, five Indian Institutes of Science and Engineering Research (IISERs) and Indian Institute of Engineering,

Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur. The Council meeting at NIT Warangal (NITW) was the first one to be held outside New Delhi.

According to the statement by the NIT-W, the Council discussed the issue of criteria of admission to NITs, IIITs and others which currently gives 40 per cent weightage to normalised board marks and 60 per cent weightage to JEE (Mains) performance of the student.

As the recommendations have far reaching consequences, a committee would be set up by Ministry of HRD to concretise the proposal to protect interests of all.

Minister Smriti Irani expressed concern over the growing incidents of depression among the students due to non-performance in studies. The NITs, IISERs and IIEST should be ‘student centric’,

she said while proposing to implement a scheme of ‘Hand Holding’ for students who were weak in studies. A mentor student would be designated to take care of such students.

The mentor students would be provided financial incentives which would be supported by MHRD. Smriti Irani said that common admission counselling implemented for NITs, IITs, IIITs, IIEST and other Government Funded Technology Institutes (GFTIs) not only reduced stress on students and parents, but also minimised the vacant seats.

Less than two per cent seats remained vacant after five rounds of counselling leading to all time high numbers of admission in the institutions, she said.

The other decisions made at the meeting were-constituting a Student Grievance Redressal Cell at Council level, setting up a review committee for NIT System, decision to monitor performance of NITs’ Directors to instituting ‘Best NIT/IIEST Award.’

The Minister was accompanied by Union HRD Ministry Secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi, Additional Secretary (Technical Education) R Subramanyam and others.