Proposed Changes in IIT Fees structure. The report of the Committee on funding of IITs and the recommendations of SCIC for revision of annual fee in IITs to Rs.3 lakhs per year from the current Rs.90000 has been examined. The rationale for the SCIC recommendation arises from the fact that the cost of maintenance of the IITs is to be met largely from the student fee. On an average, the Government is spending about Rs 6 lakh per year on each student in the IITs. Keeping in view the interests of the students, proposed hike is denied. Instead, it has been proposed that the increase is capped at Rs.2 lakh per annum. This increase in fee is subject to the following safeguards for protecting the interests of the socially and economically backward students: A) The SC/ST/Differently abled students shall get complete fee waiver. B) The most economically backward students (whose family income is less than Rs.1 lakh per annum) shall get full remission of the fee. C) The other economically backward students (whose family income is between Rs.1 lakh to Rs.5 lakh per annum) shall get remission of 2/3rd of the fee. D) All students shall have access to interest free loan under the Vidya Lakshmi Scheme for the total portion of the tuition fee payable. Further, all IITs are asked to use the increased student fee for infrastructure development with the assistance of funds from the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) so that the increased fee directly translates into better infrastructure for the students. As per orders issued, the matter will be placed in next meeting of the IIT Council for ratification. GG/RT/IIT-Fee
