University of Kashmir has set up a committee to examine slashing admission fee for B.Sc nursing students who protest against being charging exorbitantly.
Earlier students held a protest against the universityadministration for charging exorbitant admission fee for the course which theysaid was more than private nursing colleges charge.
The students are pursuing the course from the Nursing andParamedical Institute setup in KU’s south campus. The college was inauguratedin 2018 by the then vice chancellor from a building of distance education.
“It is a constituent college owned by the Kashmir Universitybut the administration is generating revenue for the institutions out of thefee charged from students,” an official said, adding that the varsityadministration failed to plead its case before the state government for fundingfor this college.
Dean academic affairs KU, Prof Musadiq Amin Suhaf said thevarsity has constituted a committee to examine the demand of the students forslashing the admission fee for B.Sc Nursing course.
“We have received several representations from students andthey also registered their complaint in J&K Governor’s grievance cell,”Suhaf said.
The present fee structure of the college is Rs 77000 whichaccording to students is higher than other courses offered by the university.The B.Sc Nursing course was started in KU’s during 2017.
The fee charged in nursing college of higher educationdepartment is half of the amount charged by university.
While KU is charging Rs 77000 for the course, students saidthe fee charged by SKIMS and GMC is only Rs 10000 and Rs 40000 respectively forthe same course.
“The varsity is fleecing the students by charging exorbitantfee,” a student said.
The intake capacity per year for the four-year course is 50students, which means the varsity is generating annual revenue of Rs 38.5 lakhsout of the fee charged from the students.
“In four years the varsity generates Rs 1.54 crore from thestudents in this course and a huge amount goes into saving for the varsity,” anofficial said.