Anna University wants to collect exam fee; huge loss otherwise, it tells HC
"Nearly 4 lakh students appear for the exams for which the university would spend 37.11 crore towards conducting the exams and declaring results.
Anna UniversityCHENNAI: Asserting that it has not demanded or collected exorbitant examination fee from students studying in first to pre-final year whose exams were cancelled due to the pandemic, Anna University informed the Madras high court that it would suffer major financial setback if not permitted to collect fee for the cancelled exams.
"Nearly 4 lakh students appear for the exams for which the university would spend 37.11 crore towards conducting the exams and declaring results. The entire process for the examination has been started much earlier to the cancellation order issued by the state," registrar of the university L Karunamoorthy said through an affidavit.
The amount was spent for all aspects except valuation of answer scripts. As 126 is the cost of each answer paper, 150 is collected from students for each subject, he added.
The university made the submissions on a batch of pleas moved by students seeking to restrain the university from demanding fee for cancelled exams.
On August 21, Justice N Anand Venkatesh admitted the pleas and directed the university to publish the results of students irrespective of the fact whether they have paid the fee or not. The court further directed the university to explain the actual expenditure incurred for conducting such exams and declaring results.
Now, claiming the university would suffer major financial burden if students are not made to pay fee even for the cancelled exams, it said, "Registering for examination is mandatory for a student according to the regulations. Students who have remitted the exam fee are only entitled to claim for their results."
If a student does not come forward to remit the exam fee, it means they are not willing to appear for the exam. If at all any excess amount is collected over and above the cost of answer script, the same is being remitted to the university account, the registrar added.
"Nearly 4 lakh students appear for the exams for which the university would spend 37.11 crore towards conducting the exams and declaring results. The entire process for the examination has been started much earlier to the cancellation order issued by the state," registrar of the university L Karunamoorthy said through an affidavit.
The amount was spent for all aspects except valuation of answer scripts. As 126 is the cost of each answer paper, 150 is collected from students for each subject, he added.
The university made the submissions on a batch of pleas moved by students seeking to restrain the university from demanding fee for cancelled exams.
On August 21, Justice N Anand Venkatesh admitted the pleas and directed the university to publish the results of students irrespective of the fact whether they have paid the fee or not. The court further directed the university to explain the actual expenditure incurred for conducting such exams and declaring results.
Now, claiming the university would suffer major financial burden if students are not made to pay fee even for the cancelled exams, it said, "Registering for examination is mandatory for a student according to the regulations. Students who have remitted the exam fee are only entitled to claim for their results."
If a student does not come forward to remit the exam fee, it means they are not willing to appear for the exam. If at all any excess amount is collected over and above the cost of answer script, the same is being remitted to the university account, the registrar added.
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