Chennai: The Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE) has deployed 20 inspection teams to engineering colleges accused of collecting excess fees from students admitted under govt quota, after receiving more than 500 complaints in the past four months.
In the past four months, the CM cell received more than 500 complaints against engineering colleges, and it forwarded them to Anna University . DOTE has formed 20 inspection teams comprising officials from the directorate and university professors to inspect the colleges. Anna University charges ₹150 per paper for semester exams, whereas some autonomous colleges collect up to ₹1,500 per paper, a professor said.
However, some institutions have been reluctant to comply, sources said. Action will be taken based on their reports,” higher education secretary Dheeraj Kumar said. Professors, however, said some colleges demanded extra fees for convocation certificates, exorbitant bus fees, and examination fees.
The complaints also include allegations of capitation fee demands for management-quota seats, delays in issuing certificates, and problems related to examinations. Anna University resolved some cases by directing colleges to refund excess amounts and issue certificates. “We are viewing the excess-fee complaints very seriously.
The teams will probe the complaints, examine college records and submit their findings to the state govt.