COVID-19: Students need not pay college fee until lockdown is lifted, normalcy restored: AICTE

New Delhi, Apr 16: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has said that colleges should not demand fees from students until the ongoing lockdown is lifted.

A letter to all the AICTE institutions from Member Secretary Rajive Kumar said that it has to come to the knowledge of the AICTE that certain standalone institutions are insisting that students should pay fees, including admission fee during the lockdown. It is clarified that colleges/institutions should not insist on payment of fees until the ongoing lockdown is lifted and normalcy is restored, the AICTE also said.

The AICTE would issue further guidelines on the revised fee payment timelines. All institutions have been directed to display this information on their websites and communicate it to the students via email as well, the AICTE also said.

The letter further said that AICTE and the University Grants Commission (UGC) will also issue a revised academic calendar soon and Prof. Kumar directed colleges to continue online classes for the current semester under the extended lockdown. UGC has constituted a committee to make recommendations on the conduct of semester examinations, award of marks and passing criteria.