Gujarat University Faces Backlash Over Extra Fees for Design and Animation Exams

Gujarat University is under fire for charging an additional ₹1000 entrance exam fee for Design and Animation courses, despite GCAS registration, leading to student backlash and low admissions.

Gujarat University (GU) is currently facing significant criticism and a brewing backlash from students and education stakeholders over its decision to levy an additional fee for entrance examinations for its Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Animation courses. The move has sparked discontent, particularly as aspirants had already paid the mandatory registration fee through the state’s centralized admission platform, Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS).

Despite the state government's mandate for all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions to route through the GCAS platform, which charges a standard INR 300 registration fee, Gujarat University opted to conduct its own separate entrance test for the B.Des and Animation programs offered within its campus. For this university-specific test, students were additionally charged INR 1,000, bringing their total application cost to a significant INR 1,300 per student for these courses.

Controversial Move and Student Discontent:

The decision to impose an extra fee for a separate entrance exam has drawn sharp criticism. While GCAS is designed to streamline admissions for most courses, with only PhD admissions typically allowing universities to conduct independent tests, GU's deviation for its design and animation programs has raised questions about transparency and fairness. Students and parents view this as an undue financial burden, especially since the INR 1,000 fee was charged to all applicants, including those who ultimately did not secure a seat due to the highly competitive nature or limited availability.

Adding to the controversy is the stark comparison with other university fees. For instance, last year, the university charged only INR 700 as its portion of the fee for PhD admissions, making the INR 1,000 for undergraduate design and animation entrance exams seem disproportionately high.

Low Enrollment Amidst High Fees:

The situation is further exacerbated by the critically low enrollment numbers witnessed in these self-financed courses. Reports indicate that out of 120 available seats in the Animation program, only 17 have been filled so far. Similarly, in the Design course, merely 22 out of 300 seats have found takers. This stark disparity between high fees and low admissions intensifies the scrutiny on the university's fee structure and admission policies for these specialized courses.

The Department of Animation and Design at Gujarat University has faced controversies surrounding financial irregularities in the past, including alleged missing documentation and fee records, which had previously led to student protests. While the university administration has claimed to implement substantial reforms, the current fee structure issue suggests ongoing challenges in maintaining student trust and administrative transparency.

Students and student organizations are expected to intensify their calls for a review and potential rollback of these additional fees, urging the university to align its admission practices more closely with state guidelines and ensure equitable access to education. Aspirants and their guardians are advised to keep a close watch on official announcements from Gujarat University and engage with student bodies for potential advocacy efforts.