LUCKNOW The Samajwadi Chhatrasabha staged a sit-in on Monday against Lucknow University’s (LU) recent decision to levy a one-off £100 registration fee on candidates seeking admission to its affiliated universities. The student organization described the move as “arbitrary”.
The student organization described the move as “arbitrary”. (HT photo) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Recently LU authorities ruled that candidates seeking admission to almost 550 LU affiliated colleges in five districts – including Lucknow, Sitapur, Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri and Rae Bareli – can apply on the LU admissions portal after paying £100 have to register. On the other hand, candidates seeking admission to the National PG College would be exempt from the supplement as it is an autonomous college.
The Samajwadi Chhatrasabha wanted to know the reason for the ₹100 fee when LU already charges an enrollment fee at the time of admission. A 10-strong delegation from the student organization met Vice-Chancellor Prof. Alok Kumar Rai to express their displeasure. Student leaders said many of them are facing financial problems due to job losses or pay cuts, and additional fees will only put additional strain on students, they said
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On the subject, Proctor Rakesh Dwivedi said: “The student leaders have been interacting with the Vice Chancellor for 20 minutes. Professor Rai explained to them the purpose of candidate registration on the university portal. After that, they left the office.”
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Chhatrasabha activists said they had asked the VC to consider their request to withdraw the order. LU spokesman Durgesh Srivastava said: “The decision to charge £100 as a registration fee is intended to help LU authorities determine how many candidates apply for admission into the university and colleges after passing the 10+2 exam, and to pursue them.”
In the past, AISA and NSUI have also protested. In a tweet, AISA said: “LU charges without providing any service! It’s loot, not fees.” Activists from the National Students Union of India (NSUI) have appealed to the university administration to overturn the decision.
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Step-by-step guide to admission
Any candidate wishing to apply for admission to Lucknow University or affiliated colleges beginning in the 2023-24 session must register for the Lucknow University Registration Number (LURN) by visiting the admissions page of the Lucknow University website.
After registration, each registered candidate will be assigned a LURN that will be sent to his/her registered mobile number and email. For LURN, the candidate must deposit a fee of ₹100, which can only be paid at the time of registration on the online admissions portal.
LURN is mandatory for every candidate admitted to Lucknow University and all affiliated colleges. Lucknow University and Associated Colleges will only accept admissions applications from candidates who have completed their registration and received LURN. If a college accepts a candidate’s admission without a LURN, that candidate’s admission is void.
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CAPTION: Activists from Samajwadi Chhatrasabha urged LU VC to reverse the order.
