Rajasthan Engineering Colleges Society proposed the fees be hiked to at least Rs 80,000 to meet the sixth pay commission, maintenance of laboratories, annual increments and further developments
Jaipur: Rajasthan Engineering Colleges Society has expressed its inability to give revised pay scales to teachers in the existing fee structure.
The private engineering colleges have a provisional (uniform) fees of Rs 60,000 which they claim is the lowest charged by any engineering college in India.
The society has sent a letter to the Rajasthan Technical University (RTU) explaining them the need to hike fees to enhance the quality of education and expand facilities. The move came after RTU asked the affiliated colleges to submit affidavits stating that they are giving revised pay scales to their teachers.
Nitin Talesara, joint secretary of Rajasthan Engineering Colleges Society, proposed the fees be hiked to at least Rs 80,000, which is required to meet the sixth pay commission, maintenance of laboratories, annual increments and further developments.
Association of Private Engineering Colleges has proposed a hike from the existing Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per annum citing growing expenses on account of revised pay scales, maintaining huge campuses, introducing new subjects and imparting quality education.
RTU has been receiving many complaints of irregularities in salaries.
In many colleges, B Tech students have been recruited on the post of assistant professors against the AICTE norms which mandate an M Tech degree for the job.
According to AICTE pay norms, the pay band for assistant professors is Rs 15,600-Rs 39,100 but many of the private colleges are paying them between Rs 8,000-Rs 20,000.
For associate professors, the pay band is Rs 37,400-Rs 67,000 but they are paid Rs 16,000 to Rs 45,000 and for professors the band is Rs 37,400-67,000 but they receive anywhere between Rs 30,000-Rs 60,000 in these colleges.
RTU has 154 colleges with around 5,000 faculty members. Data from RTI and other sources revealed that 70% of the faculty is underpaid. They are getting salaries in tune with pay scales implemented in 1996.
The colleges say that financial constraints are forcing them to recruit poor quality faculty. They are even hesitant in introducing new courses like aeronautical, petroleum and textile engineering.
