New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has reached out to Delhi government officials, urging them to ensure that the burden of the hike in examination fees is not passed on to students.
"We have requested Delhi government officials to see what can be done to ensure that the burden of the hike in the examination fees is not passed on to students. We have suggested if the
government can reimburse the students and the issue is being looked into," CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi said.
The CBSE last week notified an increase in the examination fees for Classes 10 and 12, registration fees for Classes 9 and 11 and migration fees. The fees for general category students for Classes 10 and 12 were doubled from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 for five subjects.
According to officials, a deficit of over Rs 200 crore in conducting board examination for class 10 and 12 has forced the CBSE to hike fees. Early board results, measures to make examination leak proof and error-free evaluation have imposed a financial burden on the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), they said.
The passing on the responsibility of conducting competitive examinations like the JEE and the NEET to the newly-formed National Testing Agency (NTA) has also left it in a fund crunch, the officials said.
"The fee hikes are required for self-sustenance, and to maintain the quality in examination, evaluation and overcome a financial deficit of around Rs 200 crore," the board's secretary Anurag Tripathi said.
"There has been a deficit of around Rs 200 crore every year in the past few years. However, we were able to neutralise that deficit by conducting competitive examinations, including the JEE and the NEET, but these have now been passed on to the HRD Ministry's National Testing Agency," Tripathi said.
"Hence, we have no option, but to increase fees. We cannot compromise the quality of examination," he said.
The Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, who were paying Rs 375 earlier, will now pay Rs 1,200 for five subjects. Under a special arrangement in the national capital, these students were only paying Rs 50, while the Delhi government was paying the rest of the amount as subsidy. According to the revised norms, the SC/ST students are now required to pay the entire amount to the CBSE.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday said he had directed the education department to work out a formula so that the students did not have to bear the burden of the increased fees. Noting that the Delhi government was the biggest stakeholder of the CBSE, Sisodia said if things continued like this, the government might consider having its own board.
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