New Delhi: The government is mulling fee waiver to central university students belonging to economically weaker sections and differently-abled, HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said.
Addressing a gathering of youth assembled by an NGO to promote the use of 'Modi app', Irani said for IITs and NITs the government has waived the total fees for differently-abled students and those whose families have less than Rs 1 lakh annual income.
"College students are wondering, when will their turn come... We will make attempt to bring in such a provision for central universities," Irani said.
Recently, in two separate decisions, the HRD ministry while hiking fees for IITs and NITs had also announced full fee waiver for SC, ST and economically weaker section students.
In her address, Irani also claimed while the previous Congress-led government had announced many new institutions like IITs, proper arrangements were not made.
"They (UPA government) opened IITs in Ropar, Patna, Bhubneswar but they did not made arrangements even for amenities like roads, water or power," the HRD minister said, adding today the Cabinet has decided to provide all such facilities to these institutes.
"In 2008, Congress made an allocation of Rs 4000 crore, today we have made it Rs 14,000 crore," Irani said.
Referring to the case of a Pune-based girl Vaishali, who had approached Narendra Modi for medical help with regard to an ailment and received prompt response, Irani said the Prime Minister has time even for those who have not become voters yet.
She encouraged the youth to connect with the PM through Narendra Modi app and create a positive environment on social media where some people run "negative" campaigns.
