The HRD Ministry made a statement on Sunday that the current hike in fees for M.Tech courses at the Indian Institutes of Technology will not affect existing students. It is told that the hike shall apply to fresh admissions only and “indigent students” will be provided necessary financial support.

There shall be no fee hike for the existing students. For new admissions, the hike will be progressive over a period of three years or more, as will be decided by the respective Board of Governors of IITs,” the Human Resource Development Ministry said in a statement.

“All permits and scholarships for SC/ST/OBC and others will proceed without change. The fee hike will control non-serious students, who after a few months of stay in IITs, leave the program midway to take up employment or to prepare for competitive exams,” it added.

Also, the IIT Council led by Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had on Friday signed a proposal to hike the fee of the master’s program and make it to the level of the B.Tech courses.

The verdict was taken on orders of a three-member committee on reforms on the MTech program in IITs. “The fee for the MTech. Programs in IITs have not been changed for a long time, whereas the cost per student has gone up extensively. No student will be stripped of opportunity for education because of weak financial conditions,” the ministry confirmed.

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