Hundreds of engineering aspirants have been left disappointed as Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) increased its annual fee by more than 23 per cent.
BGSBU Engineering College was established in 2008 in Rajouri. Engineering students mainly from underprivileged families of Pir Panjal region have taken admission in this college over the years. As BGSBU has increased its fees, many students have dropped their idea of taking admission.
In 2012, B. Tech programme would cost a student Rs 40,000. Eight years later in 2020, students have to pay Rs 1.04 lakh for the same course. Hostel fee is also increased to Rs 44000 per year.
This has caused a huge decline in enrollment rates. 86 students took admission in B. Tech course even though there are 300 seats available. Enrollment in this college is decreasing rapidly over past few years from 245 students in 2015 to 154 in 2019 and 86 in 2020.
Guftar Ahmed, a social activist from Pir Panjal region said that BGSBU receives a lot of funds from UGC and state government still college administration is consistently increasing fees. They used to charge Rs 40,000 in 2008 and now they are demanding Rs 1.04 lakh. Some students are even ready to go to private colleges outside J&K rather than studying in BGSBU. He said that hostel fees is also being regularly increased.
BGBSU management said that government funds them a very small amount which is insufficient to cover their total expenditures. So, they have to rely on fees given by students to run the college.
Prof Iqbal Parwez, Dean Academic Affairs of BGSBU told The Kashmir Monitor that students are showing comparatively less interest in engineering courses in past few years throughout the nation and not only in their university. This is why low enrollment rates are being seen. Moreover, other universities are fully funded by the government which is not the case with BGSBU so, it will be unfair to compare both. They have to charge students a little higher fees because government funds only cover a portion of their expenditures.
He said that the college administration is working to re-analyse their fees and try to keep it at an optimum level. They have to charge students a certain amount because they have to pay for salaries of teachers and other employees including other charges.
