PATNA: The new academic session for the engineering aspirants does not seem to be heralding good news as the National Institute of Technologies (NITs) across the country have declared almost 100% hike in annual fee. Not lagging behind in the race, NIT, Patna (NITP), too, has almost doubled its fee to Rs 70,000 per year from around Rs38,000 last session.

The hike is in line with the recommendations of a standing committee under the NIT council last year. It had suggested steep hike in tuition fee for the NITs across the country from the new academic session. NITP director Asok De told TOI that for the undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as BTeangry studentsch, MCA and MTech, one will have to pay Rs70,000 for a year whereas it was around Rs38,000 till last year.

This development has led to resentment among engineering aspirants as well as parents. Vikas Kumar of Madhubani, who stays in Patna and prepares for entrance exams, said he aimed at government engineering colleges such as IITs and NITs. Earlier, his parents had decided against going for education loan. But, now, they will have to change their decision. “Last year, IITs, too, raised their fee and now has the NITs. Had the hike been of Rs5,000 or Rs10,000, I could have avoided a bank loan,” said Vikas, son of a trader.

The news comes as a blow to all those dreaming of a bright future at a low cost. “Government engineering colleges were the last resorts for people like us who hoped that their children can also end up working for an MNC and earn handsome salary without burning holes in our pockets,” said Vishwanath Kumar, a garment shopowner at Mainpura, Patna.

The hike has dealt a severe blow to the non-reserved category as no changes have been made for students of reserved category such as SCs and STs. Also, to encourage research activities, the fee for doctoral programmes at NITP has been waived for scholars of all categories. “For PhD courses, instead of Rs38,000, one will have to pay only Rs15,000 a year,” said Asok De.

The IITs, too, last year effected a steep hike in tuition fee for undergraduate programme from Rs50,000 to Rs90,000. According to De, for the NITs, a fees structure of Rs90,000 was proposed. However, the committee decided to stick to the figure of Rs70,000.

The Union HRD ministry issued a directive related to fee enhancement in the NITs on May 5 this year. However, the fee for MBA and five-year MSc programmes will depend on the discretion of the NITs concerned.