~Wondering about JTCDM

Something that might have gone unnoticed by most of us in the recent past, the Jamsetji Tata Centre for Disaster Management (JTCDM) announced a cut in the course fees for the fourth semester. From a total payable amount of Rs 58,967, the fee for the fourth semester has been reduced to Rs 29,150. This reduction in the fees is a direct factor of the reduction of the ‘development fund’ charged by the JTCDM. The development fund charged earlier was Rs 32000, which has now been brought down to Rs 2500- at par with most other courses.

The rationale for charging such an exorbitant sum was provided by the Centre as the course being only UGC recognised and not funded. Nevertheless, this rationale still did not justify a whopping sum of close to Rs. 60000 being charged as course fees per semester. It is a known fact that the Disaster Management course is one of the most expensive courses in TISS.

In an environment where transparency and accountability is ostensibly encouraged, on being questioned about where the money was being spent, JTCDM maintained silence. It is only after persistent questioning during student-faculty interactions that the centre ‘quietly’ came up with a ‘surprise package’ for the students this semester. The news was made public only by mid-November during the entire fee payment mayhem! What is perplexing? The timing! Only after the last day of for fee submission had gone past, did the Centre wake up to send ‘formal letters’ to the parents of the students by speed post.

While the lowering of the fees has come as a major relief to all the students, it also leaves one wondering about a lot of things. What made possible this sudden cut in charges from the students? Has the UGC agreed to fund the course? Do the fourth semester students deserve any reimbursements if this was a case of incorrect budget estimation? Will this also mean that the Centre has relaxed the imperative of bettering this newly started course? Why has no authoritative explanation been given to the students for this major change? Don’t the students have a right to know, why they have to pay the amount they pay and how is it spent?

- Vidushi Kaushik