Institutes shouldn’t force students to pay full fees for this academic year: AICTE

AICTE has asked all higher educational institutes not to insist on students paying the full fees for this academic year.

The All India Council for Technical Education has urged all the higher educational institutes in the country not to force students to make the full payment of fees for this academic year amid the current Covid-19 pandemic situation.

AICTE has asked institutions to allow students to make the fee payment in three or four installments throughout the year as many families have suffered job losses and financial downfalls during the uncertain situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

AICTE has also issued several other instructions to institutions regarding the termination of teachers and internet issues faced by students during the pandemic. All the higher educational institutes have been asked to follow these instructions.

Guidelines regarding termination, internet:

AICTE issued guidelines to all higher educational institutes on May 5, asking them to provide internet bandwidth to students from other colleges and institutes who don’t have access to a strong network amid the current pandemic situation.

The official notice issued by AICTE said, “Due to the inability of certain students to access internet services, colleges/institutions are advised to allow students of other colleges/institutions in their vicinity to access the internet facility at their colleges/institutions.

“Hence, colleges/institutions may accordingly permit students of other colleges/institutions to share their campus internet wi-fi facility. Attendance rules may be relaxed in the light of lockdown and unavailability of good bandwidth in certain rural areas,” it further added.

AICTE has also said that no institution will be permitted to terminate a teacher or staff member during the lockdown and the salary of all the employees will have to be deposited on time. If a teacher has been terminated during the pandemic, the decision has to be reversed immediately.