Mumbai University: Yuva Sena disrupts fee hike meeting

Officials from the University of Mumbai and the fee fixation committee met yesterday to discuss the possibility of fee hikes in degree colleges. When word got around of the meeting, over a hundred Yuva Sena activists, Shiv Sena student wing, showed up at the Kalina campus and started protesting the fee hike.

Fee-ver pitch: Yuva Sena protests at Kalina Campus against fee hike

A senate member from the Yuva Sena, Dilip Karande, who is a management council member at the university, said, "We did not allow the University fee fixation committee to increase the fees of degree colleges. They should first be eligible for the hike. They should fulfill all the parameters as per the University rules.

Echoing these sentiments, Pradeep Sawant, senate member of Yuva Sena, said, "We have given our suggestions to the University on what colleges should provide to the students to be eligible for a fee hike (see box). If colleges fulfill these parameters, only then should they be allowed to increase their fees."

Naresh Chandra, varsity's Pro Vice-Chancellor, said, "We have not yet decided on how much the hike will be. First, we will release the parameters for the degree colleges to be eligible to increase the fees."

Fee hike parameters
Senate members have given a list of parameters that a college should satisfy to be eligible for a fee hike:
>> A degree college should have a University-approved principal who meets eligibility criteria, and adequate number of teachers
>> Colleges should have good infrastructure and facilities
>> Teachers should be paid according to Sixth Pay Commissionu00a0