Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Telangana Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (TAFRC) over its handling of fee hike proposals from engineering colleges.
The court observed that every year, colleges submit proposals to increase fees, but TAFRC delays its recommendations until after the counselling and admissions process is complete. This recurring delay forces colleges to approach the court for intervention, creating a cycle of uncertainty and legal disputes.
11 colleges reach court
Recently, about 11 engineering colleges, including Guru Nanak and Gokaraju Rangaraju, filed urgent petitions challenging Government Order (GO) 26. This order, issued by the state government, mandated that the fee structure from the previous block period (2022–25) would continue for the 2025–26 academic year, based on TAFRC’s recommendations.
The government’s decision came after it noticed that some colleges were proposing fee hikes as high as 70–100 per cent, which was seen as excessive and inconsistent with established norms. As a result, a sub-committee was formed to thoroughly review the proposals and recommend a more appropriate fee fixation process.
Judge criticises TAFRC
During the hearing, Justice K Lakshman questioned why TAFRC, despite being a large committee, had not made timely decisions, especially when colleges had submitted their proposals as early as December 2024.
The judge also criticised both the colleges and the committee for waiting until the last minute to address these issues, leading to urgent court petitions during the admission season. The court emphasised that it is not the judiciary’s responsibility to decide on fee hikes and urged both the colleges and TAFRC to resolve such matters proactively.
Senior counsel for the colleges argued that their proposals had been submitted well in advance and that the committee had, in fact, accepted them in a meeting held in March. On the other hand, TAFRC’s counsel explained that the volume of proposals—over 5,000 pages—necessitated more time for review, and thus, the recommendation was to maintain the existing fees until a thorough assessment could be completed.
The government, meanwhile, highlighted the financial implications of any fee hike, noting that the state’s fee reimbursement arrears were already significant, and any further increase would add substantial pressure on the state’s finances.
The High Court is expected to issue interim orders soon, which will have important consequences for both students and private engineering colleges across Telangana.
HC permits CBIT to collect enhanced fee temporarily
In a related development, the High Court permitted Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT) to temporarily collect an enhanced fee of Rs 2,23,000 per annum for BE/BTech courses, pending further orders.
This decision was made after CBIT challenged GO 26, arguing that the blanket continuation of the old fee structure would cause financial hardship to certain institutions.
