Madras HC stays University order demanding affiliation fee

The High Court has stayed a demand raised by the University of Madras from the Loyola College, Madras Christian College, Women’s Christian College, The New College and Stella Maris College seeking an annual provisional affiliation fee at the rate of  INR 25,000 for each course from 2016-17.

Madras HC stays University order demanding affiliation fee

The Madras High Court has stayed the operation of the notices of the University of Madras, which has demanded payment of continuation of affiliation fee in respect of the courses offered by the autonomous colleges in Chennai. 

The High Court has stayed a demand raised by the University of Madras from the Loyola College, Madras Christian College, Women’s Christian College, The New College and Stella Maris College seeking annual provisional affiliation fee at the rate of  INR 25,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) for each course from 2016-17.

Justice Anita Sumanth granted the injunction while admitting a batch of writ petitions from Loyola College, Madras Christian College, Women's Christian College, New College and Stella Maris College, challenging the notices issued in March this year.

Senior Counsel Isaac Mohanlal contended that the demand had been raised without a resolution of the Senate and the Chancellor’s assent. He brought it to the notice of the court that every college affiliated to the university pays a hefty amount right at the beginning towards affiliation fees. However, now it appeared that the university had begun to demand annual affiliation fee for each course on the basis of a decision taken by the Syndicate.

Petitioners contended that the University has arbitrarily fixed the fee without considering any of the parameters to be followed in such cases. It suffered from non-application of mind. If the University collected the bulk and hefty fee, it would result in heavy revenue loss and fiscal deficit and would cripple the functioning of the colleges.

Hence, it should be quashed in the interest of the educational institutions as well as the students. Moreover, it would affect the fundamental right of the petitioners to establish and run educational institutions under Article 30(1) of the Constitution, they added.

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