Colleges and institutions have switched to virtual learning since the initial spread of the virus across the length and breadth of the country. With the closure of colleges and institutions, students were directed to leave the campus premises as soon as possible.

With no student within the campus boundaries, students have now adopted the new way of learning far away from the physical classroom set up.

However, this brought several hurdles to the students risking their learning and education while adapting to the new way of education. One of the major concerns of the students is the fee payment for hostels and accommodations at their respective campuses.

Students have been guided to make the fee payment in due time for the accommodation facilities and hostels which have not been visited by the students in the past few months.

Post this, several complaints to AICTE and college authorities, a discussion has been lately circulated amongst the students regarding their concerns.

In a recent update, the technical education regulator AICTE has shared their concerns over the issue and have written to colleges regarding the hostel accommodations.

AICTE has directed all the institutions and colleges do not charge a fee for hostels, transportation and other facilities which have not been utilised by the students after the lockdown rule.

AICTE has shared letters to all the principals of the institutions and colleges under it, stating that several complaints have been received by the regulatory body of institution charging college fee for the facilities which have not been utilised since the nationwide lockdown.

Moreover, in economic circumstances like these, the students have already been finding it difficult to make the academic fee payment, let alone the hostel fee.

Rajive Kumar, member secretary of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), shared the letter with principals lately, expressing the concerns over the issues. 

AICTE has been receiving multiple complaints from student bodies and parents over the fee payment of transportation as well as hostel fee amidst the time of this massive pandemic and economic downfall.

The facilities have not been availed by the students since they left the college as per the guidelines issued by the government and the institutional authorities. Therefore, the colleges have been directed to not charge any maintenance fee for the same. 

The letter by AICTE, further directed the institutions to charge a fee only for those services which the students have been availing while at home.

Therefore, the authorities have been directed to not charge even a single penny for services not availed post the lockdown rule. Failing to comply with the guidelines issued by the AICTE, strict actions against the institution authorities would be taken. 

All the information was stated in the letter issued to principals of colleges and institutions by AICTE. The letter also stated that the institutions and colleges must ensure safety precautions against the hurdles reflected by the massive spread of the pandemic.

This would be the key responsibility of the institution. Therefore, the lives and well-being of the staff and students must be of top priority. The AICTE has been regulating approximately 11000 institutions located in different corners of the nation.

The key aim of the regulatory body is to provide technical education to more than 3,000,000 students in distinct institutions and colleges, thus, providing them with better future opportunities and career stability. 

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