Students seeking admission to undergraduate courses at Lucknow University (LU) are voicing their dissatisfaction after being required to pay the same registration fee twice due to changes in the admission process, as reported by The Times of India.

The confusion stems from the university’s recent shift to the Ministry of Education’s Samarth portal, a digital platform intended to streamline higher education services. While previously the Lucknow University Registration Number (LURN) fee was a one-time payment, candidates are now being asked to pay Rs 100 on both the LU website and again on the Samarth portal.

“I had already completed the LURN registration and paid Rs 100 on the university site,” said Pranabh Shukla, an applicant, speaking to TOI.

“But when I proceeded to fill out the admission form on the Samarth portal, it asked me to register again and make another payment. Why should we have to go through the same process twice?” he added.

The issue has prompted backlash on social media, with student groups like the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) raising concerns. Vishal Singh of NSUI pointed out that students from economically weaker backgrounds are especially affected.

“They are being forced to spend Rs 200 on registration alone, followed by Rs 800 for the application form. This is unfair and financially taxing,” he said.

In response, LU spokesperson Durgesh Srivastava claimed that the university's admission team had not found any technical problems with the system.

“It appears to be a network-specific issue,” he said.

This year marks LU’s first time using the Samarth portal for undergraduate admissions — a move intended to modernise the process, but one that has inadvertently led to confusion and complaints over duplicate charges.