Delhi University to ‘revise’ fees, raise funds from private organisations

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University, following its executive council meeting on Tuesday, has decided to sign an agreement with the education ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) that includes a provision to “revise fees” and “ invite corporate houses, individuals and social organizations” to fund the university.

The Narendra Modi government has been pushing the central universities to generate funds on their own to reduce their dependence on public funding.

The draft memorandum of understanding says:“The university shall endeavour to continue to charge and revise fees for its various courses and facilities, keeping in view the need to make quality education accessible to all. Additionally, efforts will be made to augment the financial resources from other sources such as through endowments, and a one-time grant from public private organisations or individuals.”

Teachers have raised concerns about the university’s move to raise fees will be detrimental for 60% of DU students who are from the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe(ST), other backward classes (OBC) and economically weaker sections (EWS).

Under MoU with @EduMinOfIndia, @UnivofDelhi administration is committing to revise the fees of students. Not acceptable - 60% students SC, ST, OBC, EWS. We have been protesting against MoU to impose privatisation. Drop this anti-social justice 11(i) in MoU pic.twitter.com/ArYUxxpE52

— Rajesh Jha (@jharajesh) August 29, 2021

The agreement DU has decided to sign also says that it will invite corporate houses and individuals to fund the university.

“We would like to build endowments for the long term financial sustainability of the university. For this purpose, we will invite corporate houses, individuals and social organizations to contribute to a permanent fund in the university,” says the agreement.

Teachers have called this move an effort to privatize education, thereby making it affordable for students from underprivileged backgrounds.

The agreement also lists “engagement with alumni” under the finance section prompting teachers to question whether the public-funded Delhi University is planning to depend on its alumni for raising funds.

Fifteen Delhi University colleges will start new undergraduate programmes from this year and two colleges will increase their intake in existing courses for DU admission 2021. The colleges will add over 600 seats to the existing 69,554 seats offered by DU colleges for Delhi University admission 2021.

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