PESHAWAR, Nov 29: Increase in examination fee by the University of Peshawar has led to decrease in the number of students appearing in exams, an official at the university said.
“Last week, the administration increased examination fee by more than 100 per cent due to which many students are unable to take exams”, he added.
He said the exam fee for internal students of BA/BSc had been revised upward from Rs500 to Rs800. Charges had also been enhanced from Rs100 to Rs150 for getting detailed marks certificate (DMC) within one week and from Rs125 to Rs200 for getting it within three days.
The fee for urgent verification of DMC and degree had been raised from Rs125 to Rs200 while that for getting provisional degree had been increased from Rs150 to Rs250.
External students appearing in BA/BSc examination had also been hit by the raise and are now required to deposit Rs1600 instead of Rs610. Students appearing in one paper will now have to pay full fee of Rs1600.
He said internal students taking MA/MSc examinations would also feel the heat as now they were required to pay Rs1000 instead of Rs700 exam fee and those taking even one paper would have to pay full Rs1,800 fee.
Students intending to appear in MA (previous) examination as private candidates would pay Rs1400, whereas those of MA (Final) would be required to pay Rs2000 instead of Rs1400.
The official said that several students who had come to the varsity to deposit BA/BSc examination fee returned to their homes because of the raise. A female student had to deposit Rs1020 for appearing in one paper of BA (Final) examination.
“I borrowed the money from neighbours. I would not be able to continue my studies even as private candidate because my father, who is a driver, cannot afford such huge fee”, said, Rifaat Ara, outside the office of controller of examination.
“On one hand, the government claims provision of free education, and on the other, fees have been raised to an extent, which is out of the reach of people like us”, said, another student Sharif Asad.
The official said that the fee for rechecking of one paper had been raised from Rs160 to Rs300 and that of appeal against rechecking from RS 300 to Rs500. Normal fee for getting provisional certificate had been raised from Rs80 to Rs150, while urgent fee had been raised to Rs500 from Rs250.
The fee for immediate receipt (same day) of provisional certificate had also been increased from Rs400 to Rs800. The fee for getting degrees within one week had been enhanced from Rs210 to Rs500, while the charges for receiving degree within two days have been increased to Rs1000 from Rs450.