Annamalai University Not State-Run; Can Fix Fee On Its Own: Madras HC [Read Judgment]

The Madras High Court has held that Annamalai University is not a government university and, thus, the Capitation Fee Act 1992, will not apply to the university.Dismissing an appeal against a Single Bench order, preferred by 149 students of the university, the Division Bench comprising Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice M.V. Dismissing an appeal against a Single Bench order, preferred by 149 students of the university, the Division Bench comprising Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice M.V. The students had preferred a writ petition contending that, once the government had taken complete control of Annamalai University, Rajah Muthiah Medical College has become a government college and therefore, demanding the students to pay fees that has been fixed by the senate prescribed in the prospectus issued for the previous academic year, namely ₹5,54,370 and ₹3,50,370 for MBBS and BDS courses, respectively, was arbitrary, when the government charges only ₹12,990/- and ₹10,290/- towards fees for MBBS and BDS courses, respectively, in government colleges. The court, dismissing the appeals, said: “Accordingly, when the university demanded the students to pay the fees prescribed by the senate for the previous academic year, it cannot be stated that the university is charging the fees with the ulterior motive of profiteering, particularly when the government had not included the university in the Government Order constituting the Fee Fixation Committee.” This article has been made possible because of financial support from Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation