Principals’ org slams GU over hike in fees; seeks govt intervention

Guwahati: The Assam College Principals’ Council (ACPC) on Sunday expressed concern over “arbitrary enhancement of fees” by Gauhati University (GU) and sought immediate intervention from the state govt.In a statement, the ACPC said it had submitted a representation to CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, urging him to intervene against the increase in fee structure and “unlawful imposition” of new categories by GU.The Council also strongly objected to the introduction of additional Permission and Affiliation fees for the commencement of fourth-year classes under the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP). It pointed out that colleges affiliated to GU had already admitted students under the FYUGP in 2023, in accordance with the regulations approved by the university.“The council also highlighted that universities such as Dibrugarh University and Assam University have not imposed any such additional fees on their affiliated colleges, thereby creating an inequitable and discriminatory situation within the state,” ACPC president Dharmendra Nath and general secretary Ranjan Kalita said in the statement.The ACPC further questioned the legality and procedural validity of the revised fee structure notified by GU on April 29.The council also urged the govt to formulate a uniform “One State, One University Fee Policy” for all affiliated universities. The statement said while the state govt had already introduced a uniform admission fee structure for degree colleges, the revised fee structure imposed by GU exceeded the ceiling fixed by the govt.