Pune: The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is likely to follow its old academic fee structure even for the new academic year 2020-21. The new fee structure will not be introduced for now, as discussed at the academic council meeting held on Saturday.

The academic council members in its meeting discussed the ‘restructuring of academic fees’ which was to be implemented in the next academic year. However, given the situation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the academic council believes that the fee structure for the previous year should be continued for this year as well.

“The council has recommended the same to the management council as well. The management council meeting is due in the first week of June month, after which a final call will be taken,” said SPPU Pro-Vice-Chancellor NS Umarani.

Several students and parents had also requested the university to not implement any new fee structure, as many families are facing financial crunch against the backdrop of COVID-19.

The university was to revise the fee structure after eight years. “This wasn’t a fee hike but restructuring of fees. Considering the cost of education, laboratory issues, qualification of the teachers, technology involved, the addition of new things in the syllabus, the university had planned to restructure the fees for various courses that hadn't been done in the last eight years,” Umarani told Sakal Times.

He also informed that a fee fixation committee which was set up as per the Maharashtra State University Act, 2016 had worked on the revision of fee restructuring for six months.

However, now keeping in mind the pandemic situation academic council had reviewed the matter and elected to stick to the previous year’s academic fees.  “Further, the management council will take the final decision,” Umarani added.