KARACHI, Jan 15: A decision to increase the tuition fee of Bachelor of Computer Science programmes conducted at the Petroman institutes has irked the students as they believe that the fee hike is untimely and exorbitant.

A number of students enrolled with the three Petroman institutes, that conduct the three-year Bachelor of Computer Science education, pointed out that an increase of about 30 per cent in the existing tuition fee was unjust, particularly at a time when the organization was not in a position to admit more students to its BCS classes. Its Karachi-based institutes have no authority to give further admissions as at present they have no affiliation with any university in the province for the BCS classes, the students maintained.

However, a senior official at the Petroman’s corporate office said the increase was inevitable and in line with the government’s policy to keep the institutes viable and self- sufficient. “We are running different programmes on a self- finance basis, while there is no grant-in-aid from the government for this purpose.”

Established in 1977, as an educational and training organizations in the field of computers science and information technology, the Petroman, now working under the Information Technology and Telecommunication Division, Ministry of Science and Technology, is running 22 institutes in all major cities of Pakistan.

In Sindh province, there are six Petroman institutes in Karachi, while one each in Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana, providing a range of short and long duration training programmes.

In Karachi, three of the institutes, having affiliation with the Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, were designated to conduct BCS classes. However, following a Sindh government’s directives that the university must operate within the geographical jurisdiction as prescribed in the charter, universities based outside Karachi have expressed their inability to conduct courses for new admissions, ie students are likely to be admitted during 2002, the sources added.

The students said the sudden increase of Rs500 per month in the case of every BCS student at the Petroman institutes in Karachi was a big source of concern for them. “We have to pay an additional Rs6,000 per annum, which will surely be an extra burden, while the management has no plausible reason for its action as it has failed to provide standard education, necessary academic facilities and structure to the students.”

While urging the ministry of Science and Technology to order withdrawal of the increase to be made effective from the new academic session, the students hinted at launching a protest campaign as well.

The general manager of the Petroman, who looks after the management of institutes throughout the country, told Dawn that the increase was a routine matter.

“In order to meet the expenditures made on educational programmes of different nature, the competent authority on the recommendations of respective principals, auditors and finance managers, has taken the decision,” he said, adding that there was no uniform policy regarding increase of fees and the decisions were taken on a case-to-case basis, ensuring that no profit is made at any level.

He said that fee structures varied from one centre to another in view of the faculty cost, equipment involved and other charges including utilities. “For some diploma courses we have reduced the fee as well, he claimed and pointed out that the fee structure in the case of BCS courses was made from time to time in order to make the education cost effective both for the government and the students.

To a question, he said that it was correct that the three institutes in Karachi were legally not bound to make new admissions, but the management was working in this regard. He said that the Petroman had already approached the University of Karachi and it was likely that its North Nazimabad campus would be in a position to get affiliated with the university and consequently it would be offering BCS courses very soon. While the other two institutes would start BCS admissions during the next semester — in July — after acquiring affiliation from the University of Karachi, he added.