HC issues notice to PU dept on cut-off marks

The Karnataka High Court has issued notice to the state government, Office of Collegiate Education and Pre-University Education Department over the practice of private PU colleges demanding huge sums of money as donations during admissions.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by Amrutesh N P, an advocate who has moved the court seeking directions to the government and the education department to open new pre-university colleges in the interest of equity and justice.

He has also sought directions to the Commissioner, Office of Collegiate Education and the Director of Pre-University Education Department to bring the fee structure of private PU colleges in line with the notification dated May 10, 2019, which fixed the fee structure for government-aided PU colleges.

In his petition, Amrutesh highlighted the practice of private PU colleges demanding huge donations from students who are unable to secure admission due to high ‘cut-offs’. In such situations, parents have no other option except to shell out lakhs of rupees as donations to gain admission in these colleges.

The petitioner contended that the commissioner and Office of Collegiate Education had recently announced the fee structure for government-aided PU colleges but there was no such control on the fee structure for private PU colleges, leading to the exploitation of students.