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Students taking admission in Chanakya National Law University in the next academic session would have to pay a lot more than their predecessors.
According to the new fee structure, students taking admission to the five-year integrated LLB course would have to pay Rs 1.65 lakh per annum for tuition fee and lodging expenses. It is Rs 45,000 more than the previous session, when students had to pay Rs 1.2 lakh. The first batch that entered the law cradle in 2006 had to pay Rs 65,000 per annum.
The annual fee would not include charges for food. Students pay around Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 every month for nutrition.
Explaining the reason behind the fee hike, CNLU registrar S.P. Singh said: “The decision to increase the fee is not unique to the CNLU. All law colleges that admit students through the CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) decided to raise the fees at a meeting a few months back.”
The law colleges have decided to increase their fees depending on their infrastructure and academic facilities.
Aspiring lawyers would have to pay Rs 2 lakh per annum to study at National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad, Rs 1.72 lakh per annum at National Law School of India University, Bangalore and Rs 2.02 lakh at National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi.
Some law colleges though have lesser fees than the CNLU. National Law University, Odisha, will charge students Rs 1.6 lakh per annum, while students at National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, would have to pay Rs 1.52 lakh.
The CNLU accepts 140 students every year; 20 seats are reserved for NRIs.
Registrar Singh said: “The prices of all commodities have increased manifold in recent times. Teachers have to be paid according to the Sixth Pay Commission. Besides, we also have to pay Rs 11 lakh per month as electricity charges.”
The university also has to pay Rs 2 lakh to the agency appointed to maintain cleanliness on campus.
Students, however, are not happy with the hike. A CNLU student, preferring anonymity, said: “We must remember that Bihar is a poor state and most of the students are from middle-class homes. It would be difficult for us to pay.”
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