Jadavpur University has introduced an annual user fee of Rs 200 for each student pursuing the undergraduate economics programme from the 2023-24 academic year for the maintenance of computers in its new computer laboratory.

The fee will be Rs 300 per year for those pursuing the postgraduate programme in economics.

The head of the department, Saikat Sinha Roy, had in a meeting of the university’s executive council held in December proposed an annual laboratory fee of Rs 400.

A university official said that the fee had been lowered after students opposed to the proposed fee structure.

This is the first time that a department in arts faculty has decided to introduce lab fees.

At JU, economics comes under the arts department.

A JU official said that at a recent budget meeting of the university, a few departments in humanities that have laboratories were requested to think of ways to generate resources.

Another official said engineering and science departments charge Rs 125 and Rs 75, respectively, as lab fees each month.

A letter that the head of the economics department wrote to then officiating vice-chancellor Amitabha Datta on July 28 says: “The matter was discussed threadbare with the student representatives and the department of economics has decided to lower the annual user fees (from what was proposed). The new rates of computer laboratory annual fees are as follows: UG I students: Rs 200 per head per year and PG I students: Rs 300 per head per year.”

Datta, who has been continuing as pro-vice-chancellor after allegedly being asked by the governor to resign as officiating VC on Friday, told The Telegraph on Saturday: “The economics department has introduced annual user fees.”

A JU official said the introduction of the fees was crucial for resource mobilisation in view of the university’s fund constraints owing to reduced funds support both fromthe state and central government.

The deficit registered by Jadavpur University under non-salary heads for the 2022-23 fiscal “is more than the grant” it received from the state government, said an official of the university.