31 private engineering colleges ‘illegally charging’ additional fees: PAAP

As many as 31 private unaided engineering colleges in the State are charging additional fees from students by issuing circulars for the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 batches, violating the G.O. Ms. No. 118 and earlier orders of the Supreme Court, claimed members of Parents Association of Andhra Pradesh (PAAP).

According to the G.O. Ms. No. 118 issued by the Higher Education (R.M) Department on December 24, 2025, the annual fee for all B. Tech. programmes shall continue as it is for students admitted during the block period of 2023-24 to 2025-26 till they complete the programme. It also prohibits the collection of additional fees.

“This G.O. has been issued on the basis of the judgment of the AP High Court on July 9, 2025. As per the judgments of the Supreme Court (Inamdar vs State of Maharashtra and Narayana Medical College vs State of AP), it is illegal to change the fees for students who were admitted in the previous years in the middle of an academic year,” said PAAP president S. Narahari.

“However, 31 colleges are issuing illegal circulars in violation of the government and court orders. This is causing hardship to thousands of students, putting a heavy financial burden on their parents. We demand the government to levy fine and cancel the permission of the colleges that have violated the rules,” he said.

Apart from demanding that the government take strict action against the management of 31 private engineering colleges, the PAAP member also wrote a letter to the AP Higher Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission (APHERMC), requesting that it immediately issue a clear circular to all colleges across the State regarding such violations.

Speaking to The Hindu, APHERMC Member-Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) D. Suryachandra Rao said, “The managements of few colleges are not communicating properly while issuing circulars on fee hike. While they are seeking excess fee amounts, the parents are considering it as exploitation due to the additional fees being charged.”