To,

The Hon’ble Vice Chancellor,

Chanakya National Law University,

Nyay Nagar, Mithapur,

Patna, Bihar- 800001

Subject - Request to amend letter no. CNLU/45a/2024-263 and CNLU/45a/2024-264 dated

15.05.2024 published on the official website of the university.

Respected Sir,

I am writing this mail to request you to reconsider the notice published on 15.05.2024. The
notice concerned is regarding the updated fee structure and last date to pay the fee for the
upcoming semester. My concern is regarding the severe increase in fee by Rs.11000 (Rs.13000
for batch of 2025) and the deadline to get it paid by the end of this month i.e. 30.06.2024.
Furthermore, increase in the electricity charges for students using ACs and Air coolers is also
very harsh. I request you to kindly address the following issue taking into consideration the
reasons sighted below-

Issue 1: The deadline for fee payment.

I would like to humbly submit that the last date decided to get the fee paid is arbitrary as the
genuine, practical & on ground problems faced by students and their parents is missed and not
considered by the administration before publishing the notice. Different students have a myriad
of circumstances that disallow them to avail this fee within this stipulated time frame. It is my
earnest and kind appeal for reconsideration of the stringent 30th June fee submission deadline.
Many of us rely on financial aid from banks, scholarships, and other institutions, many of us are
from financially weak families, due to which delays are beyond our control. Imposing penalties
or restricting access to classes and hostels for late fee submissions due to these delays is unjust
and places undue stress on students. Not allowing students to appear in examinations on account
of non-payment of fees is also not just, and even if such a provision remains, respected
administration should also exercise his power to eliminate the “repeat(r)” remarks from the
grade sheet. We are very disappointed and stunned by the language used in the notice by
university administration. Our University is a reputed public university but the noticed seemed to
be very rude and not at par with the name and grace that our university holds. Restricting the
entry into the class and hostel, just because we are not that financially stable to get the fee paid
too soon, is very disheartening. It is my humble request to please be kind to us in this regard.

Issue 2: The increase in the fees under different heads

The increase in the fees under different heads poses significant impact on the pockets of our
family. This heavy-handed increase in fee was neither discussed nor signaled to the students
before serving the notice.
Humbly, I would like to submit that Infrastructure Development Fee and development fee both
are being charged under different heads cumulatively making Rs.9000 per head for the purpose
of development. As per my nascent knowledge, the infrastructure is financed by the
Infrastructural wing of the Education department of Government Of Bihar. If that’s true, the
university has no expenditure on erecting infrastructure. Therefore, I request that infrastructure
development fees should include the Internet facilities, digital classroom, moot court, Arbitration
and Mediation, construction etc. It is pertinent to note that students don’t even have a proper
shaded parking with security assurance in the name of infrastructure.

At the time of our admission, we were clearly assured by the university administration that the
fees will remain constant for all the upcoming years (excluding mess charges). Moreover, the fee
structure we have given for loan applications clearly mentions the prospective fees. It states only
mess charges and electricity charges could be increased. This is a major concern to us and I plead
with my folded hands to kindly amend the concerned notice sighting this reason as well.

In the notice concerned, Internet fee is demanded in a separate head. Please take into account that
Free wifi is being delivered by Bihar government to the universities under “Viksit Bharat ke 7
Nishchay” mission, if not then we have PM WANI Yojana as well. And over that even if we
need to invest more, then it’s my humble request that it should be done from the development fee
that we are already paying. Over that, Most of the areas do not even have internet connectivity,
only Library, Hostel and Admin block is covered within the wifi coverage. Modestly, sighting
the reasons stated, Fees for a simple internet under a separate head is completely unjustified.
Smart classrooms or internet facility is part of infrastructure development and there's already
enough fee charged under that head. Hence it's frivolous to unnecessarily increase the same.
Coming up on the next unprecedented increase - separate fee for various committees, co-
curricular and extracurricular i.e. Rs. 9500 per head cumulatively. I submit that if our esteemed
administration wants us to pay moot court fee, arbitration and mediation fee, sports fee and even
cultural fee under separate heads then what is the purpose of Rs 3000 per head under Students
Welfare Fund and massive Rs 16000 per head under Facilities fee? What is the purpose of it if
not for furthering these heads under it. If every kind of activity (Moot courts, ADR, Sports and
Cultural) will have their funds and nothing is to be spent on student events, then what are these
fund being used for?. Furthermore, not everyone is into these activities, even if they are, they do
it majorly in online mode (Moots and arbitrations). Students are not properly guided for
curricular, no training is provided for mooting and arbitration, there’s no coach for sports, no
teacher to tuition for cultural activities. Even if these heads are to be accepted, in any case, that
there must be some charge for co-curricular and extra-curricular, then should that be to the extent
of 9 thousand per student? And that too when the student Welfare fund is already collected?.

Issue 3: Certain other unjustified fee hike and concerns of day scholar
Sub-issue 3.1 : The increase in electricity costs for people using ACs and Air coolers are
massive and not apt to the consumption. Students spend their major months of summer in their
internship i.e. May and June. The consumption of ACs and Coolers are barely for 4 to 5 months.
Modestly, it is completely impractical to charge this much for using ACs and Coolers. It is not
possible to live in the hostel in the summers without AC and cooler because of the architectural
error in the building. Sunlight directly enters into the room during the day time and walls also get
very hot due to sunlight. If administration is of the view that AC is a luxury and is premium in
prices then I would like to meekly inform that a cooler costs around Rs.8000-Rs.10000 per head
and a AC installed in a double occupancy room costs not more than Rs.14000-20000 making it
Rs.7000-10000 per head. Many students got it for reasonable prices so they got it installed but
due to this massive increase, their consciously made economical decision will result adversely. I
plead to the administration to not just abruptly charge a huge amount to them just because they
are using it. Furthermore, University has recently bought massive tens of lacs worth of Air
conditioners of O-General which is the top notch brand for ACs to be installed in the university.
Every single faculty and administration staff uses AC in their Cabins and Homes, all the
payments of their AC bills are paid by the student’s money. It is my polite submission
questioning why only students are expected to suffer in these cruel summers.
Sub-issue 3.2 : With my ongoing request for amendment, I would also like to highlight that
single sharing room are being charged with Rs 6000 extra whereas a single room requires one
less ceiling fan compared to double sharing rooms. Charging extra fee in exchange of privacy or
more demand of those rooms is a business tactic that is not appreciated being employed by our
prestigious university.
Sub-issue 3.3 : Adding up one more issue, most of the Day-Scholars in the university prefer
bringing their own lunch boxes from Home. They are not even availing the lunch from the mess
but are forced to pay for it. Kindly address this issue and inculcate some mechanism if
administration thinks that they will barge in the mess and eat food. Rs.10500 is a lot to pay when
the service is not even being used by them.
Prayer
I request you to kindly address the following issues taking into consideration the reasons
cited below.
1.) I humbly request an extension of the fee payment deadline beyond 30th June 2024. Many
students rely on financial aid and face delays beyond their control. Extending the deadline will
alleviate undue stress and prevent penalties or restricted access to classes and hostels.
2.) I kindly request a re-evaluation of the increased fees under different heads. Our university
lack on basic facilities given that we are already paying Student Welfare Fund. Internet fees
should be reconsidered and summed under Infrastructure fee, given that erecting building is
financed by the government. Additionally, fees for various committees, co-curricular, and
extracurricular activities is meaningless and unjustified.
3.) I appeal for a reduction in the increased electricity charges for students using ACs and air
coolers. Considering the limited usage period during summer internships and the practical
necessity due to architectural design, the current charges are disproportionately high. Single
sharing room use less resources but costs more in fee which is unexplainable and Day-scholars
not availing the service should not be bound to pay for the service.

Therefore, we sincerely request the authority to kindly respond to our request as early as
possible as many of us are facing genuine problems regarding the hike in the fee regime
and the strict deadline.