Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday assured and promised to waive off fees for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe, Dalit and physically challenged students of all the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) across the country.
According to a report, the HRD Minister said, instead of waiving off the fees of the particular students, the family of the students which have an annual income less than Rs. 5 lakhs will be given 66% concession.
Irani’s decision comes after an IIT panel last month approved a proposal for a three-fold hike in annual fees of IITs from the present Rs 90,000. Sources had told that the SCIC, a body comprising IIT directors and senior officials, in a meeting adopted the report presented earlier by a sub-committee.
The sub-committee is headed by IIT Bombay Director Devang Khakhar which had suggested hiking fees to Rs 3 lakh. The committee also recommended multiple sources of financing for the IITs.