Mumbai: Fee committee missing even after 3 months

MUMBAI: Three months after the term of the committee of the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA) ended, the state is yet to form a new one.
The is likely to affect the fee fixation process of private professional colleges for the upcoming academic session. The process takes over three months every year, however, it has been stalled since March 18, after the term ended. Colleges, too, are unable to submit their applications for fee revision due to the lockdown.
The state’s FRA regulates fees for private unaided professional colleges as per the provisions laid down in the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act of 2015. While the process starts around November, by March fees of most colleges are fixed. This year, the dates for submitting fee proposals had to be extended several times on account of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns. “College offices were shut for a long time and many were working with skeletal staff throughout the year. It has been difficult for many to draw the balance sheet, so they have sought extension,” said a principal.
A university official said the process of appointment should have been initiated before the chairman’s term (retired HC judge MN Gilani) was coming to an end. A government official said the FRA chairman will be appointed in a week or two.
Till March 18, the old committee had fixed fees for over 70 law and more than 100 pharmacy colleges for 2021-22. Several colleges opted for ‘no upward revision’ this year.
As per the data released by the FRA in March, 95 colleges did not hike fees for both 2020-21 and 2021-22. And 929 colleges, including 797 technical ones, 117 from health sciences and 15 from agriculture-related courses, did not hike their fees for the upcoming session – 2021-22.
Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, said the fees for the coming year needs to be fixed before the admissions commence. “Though admissions are delayed, students choose private colleges based on their fee structure. There should be a committee in place to address grievances at all times,” said Shenoy.