Patna, Feb. 23: Patna University (PU), in an effort to increase its internal resources, is planning to hike tuition fee from the session starting July this year. At present, the varsity charges Rs 12.50 as tuition fee (per year), which is very less as compared to other universities outside Bihar.

Sources said the varsity finance committee was working on a proposal to increase tuition fee of the students. “The finance committee is working on a proposal of new tuition fee, which the students won’t mind paying,” a senior official of the university on condition of anonymity said.

PU will table its annual budget at the senate on February 25, a day after the state government tables its budget. The sources said as the varsity budget would be tabled after the government’s annual budget, PU might face problem in getting funds. University officials claimed that the institute’s budget proposal has already been sent to the state as approved by the syndicate, .

The varsity syndicate, in the fourth week of January, had approved Rs 325 crore deficit budget for the next financial year (2012-13). The budget estimates envisages an expenditure of Rs 348 crore against an income of about Rs 23 crore. As the budget would be tabled in the senate on Saturday, this time too it would be a deficit budget. PU vice-chancellor (VC) Shambhu Nath Singh said: “We have to depend upon the state government for meeting our expenditure because income generated from our internal resources is limited.” The VC added that with the introduction of semester system from the next session, they would require more teachers. “We are planning to make appointment of teachers on an ad hoc basis so that there is no problem in running semester system. The ad hoc teachers, who will be appointed, would be paid according to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms,” added Singh.

The UGC had asked the varsity to introduce semester system at postgraduate level from July 2012. With the introduction of the semester system at the postgraduate level, the teaching learning methodology is going to be changed as a new syllabus will be introduced with students’ assessment on semester-wise basis rather than a yearly basis.

Syndicate poll

For the election of four members of the Patna university syndicate’s non-teaching category, Mahabir Das has been elected uncontested in the SC/ST segment. Three members — Sudhakar Singh, Nitish Kumar Tantan and Pappu Verma — are contesting for two seats in the general category.

For the lone seat under OBC category, Abdul Qayum Ansari is fighting against Jai Narain Prasad. The election will be held on Saturday.