Extra fee for girls' hostel: UGC official replies to DCW

NEW DELHI: Executive Secretary of University Grants Commission P K Thakore appeared before the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday to reply to the summons issued by the Commission.

DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal had questioned the UGC for overcharging girls for hostel fee at Delhi University's Hindu College. Thakore told Maliwal that the issue was concerned to the college authorities and that they will have to solve the issue on their own. He said UGC has no role in the matter.

He, however, admitted that the Commission has raised an important issue.

Maliwal asked the official to hold a meeting with authorities of the College within 10 working days and pass a resolution in favour of the girl students.

She also asked the secretary to send the minutes of the meeting to the Commission once it takes place. Maliwal said that the fee of the boys' hostel is much lower than that of the girls' hostel, adding that the discrimination to girls is not acceptable.

The DCW Chairperson had even written a letter to Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar over the issue and appealed to him to resolve the issue at the earliest.

Taking cognisance of Maliwal's letter, the Union HRD Ministry has asked UGC to send a report on the issue to the Ministry.

Maliwal said that the overcharging of girl is a mockery of the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign and accountability should be set on whoever is responsible for it.