The University of Madras has issued a circular to affiliated colleges to pay up ‘continuation of provisional affiliation fee’ for the period 2016-17 till 2020-21 for each course they conduct. The fee must be paid before March 15.
The circular from the Registrar states that colleges must pay ₹25,000 per course, per section for every programme, including certificate, diploma and undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) professional courses, they offer. Colleges must pay the fee (from the fourth year of UG and third year of PG) online.
The university made the decision after the local fund audit pointed out that despite the statute mandating the affiliation fee, it had not been collected.
Some senior university officials pointed out that the statute had not mentioned specifically that colleges should be charged a continuing affiliation fee, and that it was a one-time fee till the first batch completed its course. The officials said they could not have made such a blunder as it would affect the institution’s revenue.
However, Vice-Chancellor S. Gowri nominated a senior syndicate member to study the statute. The V-C said the member, who had earlier served in the government, had said the university had not collected the fee due to it. The dues collected from the colleges would help tide over the severe financial crisis that the university is currently in.
