High fees can risk AICTE approval for TN engg colleges

The warning has come against the backdrop of several complaints that some colleges were demanding fees higher than the one fixed.

Based on the request from the private colleges, DoTE had come out with a new fee structure for various undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) engineering courses this academic year. Then it formed a high-level investigation committee, led by DoTE additional director M Arularasu to inquire and inspect all the private institutions reportedly collecting excess fee.

A senior official told DT Next that according to the new fees structure, Rs 50,000 should be charged per annum for all BE and B Tech courses under category one. Similarly, a maximum of Rs 87,000 has been fixed for category two.

For ME and M Tech, institutions should collect only Rs 25,000 per semester, while it is Rs 17,500 for MBA and MCA. The annual fees include tuition fee, admission fee, special fee, laboratory charges, sports fee, placement and training fee.

The directorate has decided to take severe action against private engineering colleges found guilty of charging excess fees, said the official.“Any deviation of the order of the committee will entail serious penal consequences like withdrawal of approval by AICTE and disaffiliation by the concerned university as well as imposition of fine,” he said.

Last year, about 90 private colleges collected excess fees but were let off with a warning and direction to return the excess fees. “However, this year, the colleges will definitely face severe action without fail,” he added.