Click to play videoNew Delhi: Congress-United Progressive Alliance Government's austerity drive is gaining momentum but the drive could hit students at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other institutions of higher education.
The austerity drive has seen ministers travelling by economy class and Congress leadership by the train but for the students pursuing higher education could soon become a costly affair.
The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has issued a directive asking all the IITs, central universities and even autonomous institutions like Indian Institutes of Management to generate additional revenue by increasing the fee.
Central universities and institutes have been asked to revise the fee structure, levy user charges and withdrawal of subsidy in hostel facilities to meet mandatory cuts in non-salary structure.
The HRD directive also asks universities to make a 10 per cent cut in plan expenditure in current financial year.
Educational institutions have been asked to save on foreign and domestic travel, publications and advertising.
The Ministry also wants a five per cent cut in non-plan expenditure excluding pension and salaries. Even purchase of vehicles has been restricted.
The directive has been issued on the basis of an office memorandum by the Union Finance Ministry to rationalise resources.
It seems the aam aadmi (common man) and his son or daughter pursuing higher education will also have to share the government's austerity burden.
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