Students opting for the post-graduate (PG) course in biotechnology, microbiology and biochemistry from Bangalore University will have to pay Rs.25,000 a year from the academic year (2002-03) following a directive from the Karnataka government to hike the fees for these courses.

The fee hike will severely hit the government college students as they will have to pay more than double the current fee of Rs. 10,270, which is a 150 per cent hike. As for affiliated colleges, there will be an increase of Rs. 7,000 from the old fee of Rs. 18,095.

Sources from the department of education, government of Karnataka told Pharmabiz.com that the hike in fees is a measure to make higher education self-financing. "Our students who will be worst hit by the government order. There are students who cannot even afford to pay the usual fees", informed a biotechnology lecturer who wished to be anonymous.

It is learnt that the State has bowed down to the pressures from principals of affiliated colleges and increased the management quota seats too. So far, the Bangalore University has been choosing 70 per cent of the MSc students in all courses, while 30 per cent of the total intake is to be filled up by the management. From this year, management university allotment will be shared on a 50:50 basis-enabling colleges to collect capitation fees from an additional 20 per cent of students.

Another reason for fee hike is that biotechnology is an unaided course and the government does not give grant-in-aid for either teacher's salaries or basic lab and class infrastructure.

But both these moves will in effect, not only promote the capitation fees menace, but will also increase the burden on the general students, opined a source.

The management contention is that even fees of Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 30,000 are levied on non-lab courses such as MBA/MCA, while biotech or microbiology where expensive lab equipment are required merits greater fees structures or they become unviable.

However, officials noted that many colleges prefer not to seek aid from government for some popular courses as they can charge hefty donations.

Meanwhile, the students have raised their objections to the fee hike but nothing much should be expected, as the government is keen on raising the fee.