Karnataka HC directs MU not to insist on upfront fees from students belonging to SC ST and minority community

Updated on: Friday, October 26, 2012

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the University of Mysore to accept examination fee from students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and minority communities under the old system.

The direction comes as a relief to thousands of students who were being asked by educational institutions to pay the fee upfront and claim reimbursement as per the June 23 order of the Social Welfare Department.

A Vacation Bench, comprising Justice Abdul Nazeer and B.S. Indrakala, passed the interim order on a public interest writ petition filed by the Mysore Nagarika Vidyarthi Kriya Samiti challenging the June 23 order.

The petitioner stated that since 1982, students belonging to the weaker sections of society did not pay any examination fee, which the government reimbursed to the institution/ university.

They were only paying around Rs. 160 towards marks card fee.

In the June 23 order, the department divided the students as coming under the departments of Social Welfare and Minority Welfare. The order was ambiguous as in some parts it required students to pay the fee upfront and in some other parts it required students not to pay any fee, the petitioner said. It was also silent about the fee to be paid by students belonging to minority communities, including Muslims, Christians, Jains and Sikhs, the petitioner added.

Petitioner’s counsel N.P. Amrutesh sought a direction from the court to direct the respondents not to insist on upfront payment of examination fee.

Karnataka HC directs MU not to insist on upfront fees from students belonging to SC ST and minority community

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