Udupi students stage protest against fee hike

Media source

Udupi, 24 September 2010: Over 600 students of Sneha Tutorial College, a private educational institution in Udupi, imparting training to students writing exams privately, on Thursday took out a protest march against the state government’s order increasing the PU examination fees by over three times and submitted a memorandum to the Education Minister through the Deputy Commissioner.

 

Speaking on the occasion student leaders said that the Department of PU Education in its order dated Sep 8, 2010, had hiked the examination fees for those writing exams privately (without attending regular colleges) by three times - from Rs 355 to Rs 1,362. With steep hike in the examination fee students, mainly those who work for their livelihood and at the same time study privately, writing exams would suffer hardship. This would also become a burden on the students of financially and socially backward classes.

 

 

In the memorandum submitted to the Education Minister, students questioned the rational behind the discrimination in fees for students of regular college and those writing exams privately, with charging only Rs. 280 for the regular students. They urged the Education Minister to take back the order and see to it that they don’t miss the opportunity of continuing their education.

 

Student Council leaders Ankith, Soumya Kotian, Suhail Don D’Souza, Abdul Khader and Chetan, Principal of the Tutorial Umesh A Naik, Vice Principal Karunakar Bangera and others lead the protest march.