Parents oppose move after CBSE hikes exam fees for SC/ST by 24 times, general to pay double

All India Parents Association (AIPA) has strongly opposed the decision by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to double the fees of Class X and XII board examinations
Image for representational purpose only
Image for representational purpose only

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a clarification on the increase in the exams fee structure for students, the media reported on Monday. Releasing a statement in this regard, the board dismissed media reports that said that the fee hike was just for the students in the national capital.

In their statement titled ‘Facts About Exam Fee’, the board has categorically mentioned that the exam fees have been hiked for all parts of the country, and not especially for Delhi. The CBSE has also mentioned that there has been an increase after a gap of five years.

“It is clarified that the board has increased the Board exams fee pan India and not especially for Delhi, as misrepresented by some portions of the media. This increase is after a gap of 5 years. The Board had not increased the fee in the last five years,” reads the statement.

The statement by the board further mentions that the increase in the fee has been applied to “all categories of students”. Not just in India, but schools affiliated to the CBSE abroad have also been brought under the ambit of exams fee hike. A resolution in this regard was issued by the governing body of the CBSE.

“For all students in rest of the country, the fee used to be Rs 750 (or Rs 150 per subject), which has been raised to Rs 1500 (or Rs 300 per subject),” read the statement, adding that “there are no fees for the visually impaired students”.

Earlier, the board had “a special arrangement” for the students in the national capital, wherein the fee for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students used to be Rs 350. Of this, Rs 300 was reimbursed by the Delhi government while the students effectively paid just Rs 50.

“The general category students of Delhi were earlier paying Rs 750 like rest of India, and will now pay Rs 1500,” read the statement.

According to the CBSE, the move has brought the fees structure at par with that of other boards. For instance, the National School of Open Learning (NIOS) charges Rs 1800 for male candidates, Rs 1450 for females and Rs 1200 for SC/ST candidates at the secondary level.

At the senior secondary level, the NIOS charges Rs 2000, Rs 1750 and Rs 1300 for male, female and SC/ST candidates, respectively. For every additional subject, NIOS charges Rs 720.

Justifying its move, the CBSE has also mentioned in the release that it “is a self-financed body”, which “works on no profit no loss basis”.

All India Parents Association (AIPA) has strongly opposed the decision by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to double the fees of Class X and XII board examinations from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500.

Calling it "unconstitutional", advocate and president of All India Parents Association, Ashok Aggarwal said that the decision by the CBSE will be challenged in the court.

"This major hike in fees is unconstitutional and totally against the right to education of students. This fee hike will be challenged soon in court. The CBSE is discharging public functions and is governed by Article 14 of Constitution and therefore bound to act proactive towards educational needs of children of masses," he said.

The parents association has also demanded an immediate withdrawal of fee hiked by the board.

"We demand immediate withdrawal of this fee hike as it is against the right to education of students. Such move on part of the CBSE would adversely affect the education of children of the masses," he added.

"All the governments need to provide free and quality school education as a fundamental right to every child. An average family income of over 70 per cent of our population is below Rs 6000 per month. How we can expect from such families to spend income on CBSE examination fee for classes X and XII?" he asked.

According to CBSE, SC/ST students in Delhi will now have to pay Rs 1,200 instead of Rs 50 earlier.

While the students enrolled in CBSE schools abroad will have to pay Rs 10,000 for five subjects for both Class X and XII against Rs 5,000.

The migration fee, which was Rs 150 earlier, has also been increased to Rs 350.

The students appearing for the Class X board exams are registered for it when in Class IX and those appearing for Class XII exams are registered when in Class XI.

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