Pune: Savitribai Phule Pune University increased the examination fee by 20% from the academic year 2025-26, said a circular dated Sept 14. According to SPPU officials, the management council of the university approved a 15% natural increase in the examination fee every two years from 2018-19. However, due to Covid-19 and other reasons, there had been no fee hike in the last seven years.“With the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 from the academic year 2023-24, there are changes in the structure of examination planning, evaluation, and results process. Accordingly, a change in the exam fee is needed. If we calculate the pending fee hike since 2018-19, it comes to 55%, but we are only increasing it by 20% this year,” the notification said.However, students have questioned the rise, considering the losses incurred by people in the rural parts of the state due to heavy rain. “All the crops were washed away. There is no food for people to eat. Animals died. And in such an adverse situation, the exam department decided to increase the fee. We want the university to cancel this order; otherwise, students will protest,” said Rahul Sasane, president of the University Student Struggle Action Committee.
