Hyderabad: Educationalists said the planned three-fold hike in examination fee for Intermediate students will affect hundreds of economically-disadvantaged children.
The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TGBIE) is expected to release the official notification on increasing the examination fee from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 on November 5. It is set to come into effect for the exams scheduled in March next year. However, students and their families have already called for its rollback.
“My friend Avi is already considering dropping out,” said M. Rakesh, a student at Karthikeya Junior College, Ibrahimpatnam, adding, “Even paying `500 is challenging for some students, an additional `1,000 will be nearly impossible to manage.” While Rakesh hopes to find support from his family, he worries that some of his friends, who live alone, may struggle with the increase.
“We really hope they reverse this decision, or it will make things very difficult for us,” Rakesh said.
Rakesh’s concerns are also echoed by educators like P. Durga, the principal of Government Junior College for Girls, Korutla. “Although there’s no public announcement yet, this hike is bound to cause significant distress among students. It could potentially lead to a ruckus once it is confirmed,” she noted.
The Student Federation of India (SFI) has demanded a roll back of the fee hike. T. Nagaraju, SFI state secretary, said, “The increase will impact the nine lakh students taking these exams, especially the 2.7 lakh enrolled in rural or semi-private institutions.”
Nagaraju also pointed out that while the official hike is `1,000, some private colleges are reportedly charging `5,000. “We’ve already had a few complaints about this. It needs to be addressed quickly.”
Chintakayala Jhansi, state secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), said, “Our demand is for the government to stick to the previous fee structure. Any increase will hurt students, and we’re committed to pushing for a rollback.”
