New fee structure for IITs and common entrance test for all engineering colleges discussed

New Delhi: A new fee structure, a common entrance test giving weightage to Class 12 exam marks and higher focus on research were among the issues discussed at a meeting here on Wednesday of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Council.

The council, a governing body responsible for all the IITs, took a look at a proposal to indirectly hike the annual fee of a general category student from Rs.50,000 to Rs.2 lakh to rationalize it with the expenditure of Rs 7-8 Lakh being incurred on each student.

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after the meeting that the student will pay the same fee at the time of admission. When they start working, the rest of their fee will be paid in installments from their salaries," the minister said.

The student will, however, be exempted if he or she goes for higher education, Masters or Ph.D., or takes up academics and teaching.

"The immediate difference of fee will be borne by the government. If a student has any gainful employment, he will have to pay back the difference in installments," Sibal said.

Students from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and from the non-creamy layer of other backward category will be exempted from the fee hike.

The minister added that a final decision will be taken after consultation with states.

The council also agreed in principle to hold a common entrance test for engineering colleges.

Under the new system suggested, weightage would be given to the marks obtained by a student in Class 12 examinations.

Sibal, however, added that whether the colleges under state government will be included or not under the system would be decided only after a meeting with state governments.