Minister Prasad intervenes to take back student at KAU who opted out owing to fee hike

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Agriculture Minister P Prasad instructed the Kerala Agricultural University to take back a student, who had availed of a transfer certificate due to a fee hike. V S Arjun, a first-year BSc Agriculture (Hons) student at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, decided to opt out of his studies after his yearly fees increased threefold. However, the student commented that every student who dropped out of the course due to the fee hike deserves the same benefit as him, and he does not wish to be separately sponsored. Commenting that discussions are going on to explore possibilities to support financially backward students, the minister said that further arrangements will be made if the student community feels that they are not enough. We have enough provisions to financialy support students, either through university grants or the vice chancellors scholarship fund. No student should be denied education owing to lack of money, informed the ministers office. However, Arjun remarked that he does not wish to continue in the college here. A Kozhikode-native who avails the e-grants for fee support, Arjun, said that their disbursement is often untimely. I have to pay the fees first, which will be repaid later. But it is unclear when this will be done, he said. Stating that there are many students who struggle to pay the fees, he commented that he does not want an exemption. Not to disrespect anyone, but I dont want anyones sympathy. I took this move for other students of my college, he added. He also pointed out that proper placements are not offered to agricultural courses, another reason for him to discontinue the course. Arjun also urged that a fee system affordable for all students should be set up in the university. Arjun took admission to the college earlier this year. However, the fee hike came as a shock, following which he availed TC from the institution on October 24. Upon knowing the issue, Minister Prasad directed the university to take the student back on Tuesday morning. Earlier, SFI had staged protests against Vice Chancellor, B Ashok, against the fee hike.