Don't Demand Fee, Pay Teachers, Withdraw Termination Orders: AICTE Directs Amid Lockdown

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has directed all the technical institutes not to force students to pay the fee during the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown.

In a letter to all the institutes, Professor Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary, AICTE, said, “It is clarified that college/institution should not insist on payment of fee till the ongoing lockdown is lifted and normalcy is restored.”

The AICTE issued the direction after it was reported that several standalone institutes were insisting the students pay the fee including admission fee during the lockdown.

Many institutes have also not paid salaries to their academic and non-academic staff during the lockdown period. Some have even terminated the faculty and other staff too.

The technical education regulator has directed all such institutes to immediately pay the salary and dues of their staff. They have also been asked to withdraw terminations.

“The same may be strictly complied with. A letter in this regard has also been issued to the respective chief secretaries of all States/UTs including reimbursement of a fee to colleges/institutions,” Kumar wrote.

Concerned about the fake news on social media, it asked all the institutions to report such misinformation to the concerned authorities.

The Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme, which provides scholarships to Kashmiri students for admission in institutes outside the Union Territory, will be delayed due to lockdown.

“It is clarified that the scheme will be continued as in the past, once the lockdown is lifted. A calendar of events, laying down fresh timelines will be published in the AICTE website in due course,” the directive said.

It has also allowed online classes for the current semester during the extended lockdown