After Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the country's top notch technology schools, the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) may also see an increase in tution fee, the Rajya Sabha was informed.
When asked whether the IITs had also proposed to increase their fee on the lines of IIMs, Minister of Human Resource Development Arjun singh replied in the affirmative.
He said that 'the Standing Committee of IIT Council (SCIC) has recommended an increase in tution fee for BTech and M Tech courses.'
The Board of Governors (BOG) of six IIMs located at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore and Kozhikode had earlier decided to increase the fees of the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) from the next academic year 2008-2010.
Singh, however, did not say what is the quntum of fee hike at IITs being considered or when a decision would be taken.
To a separate question, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Daggubati Purandareswari said there was no proposal before the government as of now to set up an independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education.
'This (setting up of a regulatory body) requires wide consultations with various ministeries and departments involved. No consensus has been reached as yet (on the issue),' she said, adding the regulator would not be set up unless a consensus was reached.
The National Board of Accredition under the AICTE and National Assessment and Accredition Council of the UGC review course curriculum and facilities at institutes before giving accredition, she said.
