APPENDIX N- PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH THE SYSTEM OF CAPITATION FEES CHARGED BY SOME EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN INDIA FROM STUDENTS COMING FROM OTHER PROVINCES
In May, 1949, the Joint Advisory Council for the East Punjab, Pa- tiala, East Punjab States Union and Himachal Pradesh invited the attention of this Ministry to the discrimination shown against students of one Province studying in Educational institutions situated in other Provinces of the Indian Union by way of charging from them capitation fees, which are generally heavy,,, and requested that the matter be considered in a comprehensive manner with a view to the abolition of the system of payment of capitation fees and making the existing educational facilities in India available to all Indians irrespective of their Provincial affiliations. A copy of that letter is attached (Annexure I).
2. The Government of India, while sympathising with the views of the Advisory Council, decided, in view of the long-standing practice of charging capitation fees and the fact that Provincial Revenues from which most of the institutions are maintained are drawn from local resources,
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to approach the various Provincial Governments for comments in the first instance. A copy of this Ministry circular letter No. F. 73- 184/49-D. 3, dated the 7th July, 1949 to the various Provincial and State Governments in India and a summary of the replies so far received from some of them are. appended (Annexures II and III). An extract of suggestions made in this respect by Dr. Mehta (Adviser to the Ministry of Health) in his note dated the 20th June, 1949 is also appended (Annexure IV).
3. The Board is requested to suggest ways and means to solve this problem.
Annexure I. Copy of a letter No. 15-49/28659-JAC from M. R. Sachdev, Esquire, CIE, OBE, ICS, Secretary to the Joint Advisory Council for East Punjab, _Patiala and East Punjab States Union and Himachal Pradesh to the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Education, dated the 9th/11th May 1949, regarding proposal to abolish the system of payment of Capitation Charges.
I am directed to invite attention to one of the anomalous legacies of the old regime in respect of discrimination against students of one Province studying in institutions located in another Province of the Indian Union. A system, of charging Capitation Fees, which are generally heavy, has been in vogue in most of the Provinces with the result that it becomes almost impossible for middle class students to seek admission in institutions outside their own Province unless these penal fees are borne by the Provincial Governments concerned. It may be added that in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America and others, all students are treated on a footing of absolute parity and no kind of discrimination is permitted against foreigners as such. It is, therefore, all the more curious that discrimination in the matter of fees and admission should have been practised over a considerable period of time in India, where the avowed object has always been of treating India as one. For instance all the Universities in the United Kingdom treat students, whether nationals or foreign, absolutely alike, for it is well understood that the influx of foreign students is a compliment to the educational standards maintained by a particular centre of learning. In this country, on the other hand, Provincialism appears to have been tolerated by the Central Government and accepted as normal by the Provincial Administrations concerned, despite the face that the various Scientific and Technical Institutions located in the various Provinces are in a number of cases financed directly or indirectly by the Central Government and that the existing Provincial boundaries are a result primarily of administrative exigencies. . It may also be added that there is no levy of Capitation Fees in any of the educational centres maintained by the Central Government. In the circumstances it is all the more indefensible that the Provinces should be permitted to discriminate against., students of one Province or the other.
2. Recently a number of small Provinces have come into being, which have not and are not likely to have considerable Technical Institutions but according to the existing rules the students of these small and relatively backward Provinces or Centrally Administered Areas are likely to suffer from a new disability merely as a result of these administrative changes. For Instance the institutions mentioned below levy a Capitation Fee on students from Himachal Pradesh :-
1. United Provinces Government Engineering College, Roorkee. Rs. 1,000/- p.a. per student.
2. Glancy Medical College, Amritsar Rs. 850/- p.a. per student.
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3. Edward Medical College, Indore Rs. 1, 500/- p.a per student.
4. Government Industrial School, Kulu. Rs. 85/- p.a. per student.
The levying of such Capitation Charges not only militates against the principles of the New Constitution, but also discourages students from backward areas from undertaking Technical Training, which is so much needed for the development of the new Provinces.
3. As the question of Capitation Fees is one of principle and of general importance, I am to request that the matter be considered in a comprehensive manner with a view to their removal and making the existing educational facilities available to all Indian irrespective of their Provincial affiliations. ...
Annexure II.
No. F. 73-184/49-D.3. Government of India, Ministry of
Education, New Delhi 3, the 7th July, 1949.
From
L. R. Sethi, Esquire,
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India.
To
(1) All Provincial Governments.
(2) The Chief Commissioner,
Delhi/Ajmer-Merwara/Coorg.
Subject:- PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH THE SYSTEM OF LEVY OF CAPITATION CHARGES BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Sir, I am directed to forward herewith a copy of letter No. 15- 49/28659 JAC dated the 9th/11th May, 1949, from the Secretary to the Joint Advisory Council for East Punjab Patiala and East Punjab States Union on the subject mentioned above, and to say that the Government of India fully sympathise with the view expressed therein that the levying of Capitation Fees by Educational Institutions from students coming from outside the Province/State acts as one of the chief impediments in the way of making existing educational facilities (particularly in the field of Technical and professional Education) in the country available to all Indians irrespective of their provincial affiliations. While they feel that it is highly desirable, that such barriers should be abolished, they also recognise that, Education being a Provincial subject and Provincial Finances being separate, the Provincial Governments would find it necessary to give due weight to local demands. In the interests of common nationality, however, the Provincial Governments may perhaps agree to reserve a certain percentage of seats in their institutions for students from outside areas, and admit them without the payment of any Capitation Fees. The Government of India propose to place this matter before the Standing Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education at its meeting, and shall be glad to have the views of the Provincial Government/Local Administration in the matter at their earliest convenience.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/- L. R. Sethi,
Deputy Secretary.
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Annexure III. Summary of replies from the Provincial and State Governments upto 8th December, 1949.
Reply
E. Punjab.-Agree to the abolition of Capitation Fees provided that students from outside Provinces etc., compete with local students on the basis of merit and their number does not exceed the maximum number of seats reserved for them, subject to a further proviso that, if the number of outside students falls short of the seats reserved for them, the vacant seats will be filled by local students on the basis of merit.
Orissa.-The Government feel that the levying of Capitation Charges on students studying in Technical and Educational Institutions in a Province who hail from places outside that Province is desirable from a practical point of view, in as much as it assures the Provincial Government of a less developed area a number of seats for training their personnel in institutions outside their jurisdiction every year, which otherwise will not be possible. The Orissa Government are not in favour of abolition of levy of Capitation Fees unless a definite number of seats compatible with their minimum needs for development are reserved for Orissa students in the institutions outside that Province.
Ajmer-Merwara.-Agrees with the scheme of abolition of the system of levying of Capitation Charges and suggests reservation of seats for students coming for technical or professional education from outside areas to the Provinces where there are such institutions, irrespective of Provincial affiliations.
Coorg.-Agrees to the abolition of Capitation Fees and to reservation of a certain percentage of seats in educational institutions for students from outside areas without payment of any extra fees.
Delhi.-Agrees with the proposal for abolition of the system of levying Capitation Charges and suggests reservation of seats in such Provinces (for students coming from places outside that Province) where there are institutions for technical and professional education No Capitation Fees are charged in Delhi Schools and Colleges.
Bhopal.-Capitation Fees should be abolished if other States are agreeable to it, as they act as an impediment in the case of the educationally backward areas.
Bilaspur State.-Capitation Fees should be abolished altogether as, otherwise, small and educationally backward areas find it difficult to send their students to educational institutions in other Provinces for higher education in Medicine, Engineering, Law etc.
Himachal Pradesh.-Are in full agreement with the proposal to abolish Capitation Fees.
Kutch.-Capitation Fees should be abolished. Kutch is backward in education (Education in the State is free) and the levy of Capitation Fees from its students acts as an impediment and discourages students from this area to go to other Provinces for higher education.
Rampur.-The proposal to abolish Capitation Fees is very sound. It will enable outsiders to take to Technical Education which is so much needed for the development of the Provinces.
Pepsu.-The Patiala and East Punjab States Union, as well as the Vindhya Pradesh Union recommend abolition of the system of levying Capitation Charges and suggest that seats should be reserved for deserving students from areas outside the States in which such institutions for technical and industrial training are located.
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Annexure IV.
COPY OF DR. MEHTA'S NOTE DATED 20-6-49 In the interest of a common nationality it is highly desirable that the barriers referred to in the way of the payment of the Capitation Fees should be abolished. The question would still remain as to what extent the admissions in Institutions financed from Provincial or Local Funds should be thrown open to candidates from other Provinces. A percentage will have to be fixed as is done in the British Universities of Colleges or Hospitals where they do not take more than a certain number of students from other countries. There a percentage is also roughly fixed for students from various countries, say so much per cent for students from China, Ceylon etc. In my opinion the Provincial Governments may be requested to permit admissions to students from other Provinces, and even from abroad e.g., from South East Asia or Indians from South & East Africa, to the extent of about 15 percent of the annual admissions.
The other point to consider is, how are the admissions of students form other Provinces or areas to be regulated. The first choice may go to sons and daughters of parents who may have temporarily settled down in the Province concerned, but who are otherwise not domiciled therein and are ineligible for admissions under the Rules of the Province. In the case of other students some Central machinery will have to be thought of to regulate admissions of students from other Provinces or areas. The Government of India might set up such a machinery.