Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology flouts SC judgment: Students

Hyderabad: Going against the Supreme Court judgment and the Telangana Admissions and Fee Regulatory Committee (TAFRC) recommendations, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology (MGIT), Gandipet, is allegedly charging students more than the prescribed fee.

When the institute is supposed to collect Rs 1 lakh, it is reportedly collecting Rs 1.6 lakh per year. Hundreds of students staged a protest against this on Friday.

A second year student of MGIT said, “We received a message on Thursday from the institute asking students to pay Rs 1,60,000 as tuition fee. We were given only two days time. How is it possible for a middle class family to pay such a huge amount within two days?”

Following the students’ protest, the management extended the deadline and asked students to pay Rs 1 lakh by August 5.

The institute asked the protesters to go to the High Court and secure a reduction in the fee.

The MGIT stated that it has been allowed by the High Court to hike the fee. When some parents went to the Supreme Court, the apex court made it clear that the TAFRC was the final decision maker in the fee structure and the High Court cannot interfere in the issue.

The High Court decision is again being used by the MGIT which is asking students to pay Rs 1.6 lakh.

The Telangana Parents Association demands that the institute abide by the apex court decision and collect fee only as per TAFRC recommendations.

Whatever the additional amount if collected from students,  should either be returned to them or substituted for the next academic year.