In the last 3 financial years, Delhi University has taken Rs 2.8 crore as refundable fees from the students at the time of admission. Of this, the university has neither returned Rs 2.4 crore to the students who paid the fees nor deposited them in the Vice Chancellor's Student Fund. Not a single rupee has been used to help any needy student. The rule is that after the refund to the students, the remaining amount is deposited in the VC's student fund, which is used to help the economically weaker students.
At the time of admission in DU, students are charged a refundable fee in the form of Library Security and Science Citation money. According to DU Rules, this fee is refunded to graduate students within one year of the date of leaving the institute after the completion of the course.
According to RTI activist and DU law student Prashant Kumar's RTI reply, DU collected Rs 2.83 crore as library security and Rs 25,990 as science citation money during 2016 to 2019. In response to another RTI, DU said that during this period, Rs 46.49 lakh was refunded to the students. Thus, 2.37 crore rupees are still lying 'unclaimed'.
VC Student Fund is used to provide financial help to the students of the university in these 5 situations- students below poverty line, help in the treatment of differently-abled students, payment of hostel fees of eligible students, death of student in an accident Or compensation in the event of permanent disability and help in attending international conferences and events.
Prashant Kumar, in another RTI application, asked how many students were awarded from VC Student Fund in 3 years during 2016 to 2019. In response to this RTI, DU said that during this period no money was allocated in VC Student Fund nor was any financial assistance given to any student in the above categories.
