IIT fees to be doubled; SC/STs, disabled to get complete waiver: Smriti Irani

New Delhi, Apr 7: Studying at country's prestigious technical institutions Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs) is going to be costlier as the annual fee for undergraduate courses at all these 24 IITs is going to be doubled.

As per TV reports, an IIT panel has proposed a three-fold fee hike in the fees of IIT, has been hiked from Rs 90,000 to Rs 2 lakh per annum from the next academic session, official sources said.

The decision to hike the fees follows recommendations of an expert panel which suggested raising it by three times, the sources said on Thursday.

The sources said the hike will be effective from the forthcoming academic session.

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani reportedly refused to comment on the hike. HRD Minister has now promised a fee waiver for all SC/ST and specially challenged students. A formal announcement on the same would soon me made.

Irani was quoted by TOI as saying, "Besides a complete fee waiver for these students, those with a family income of less than Rs 5 lakh will be given a 66% concession in the fees."

Irani said the move will benefit nearly 50% of the 60,471 students enrolled in the country's premier technology institutes.

The IITs have a 15% reservation for SCs, 7.5% for STs and 27% for OBCs.

OneIndia News