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IITs To Waive Off Fees For Differently-Abled Students

IITs To Waive Off Fees For Differently-Abled Students
NEW DELHI, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 5: Smriti Irani, Minister of Human Resource Development during the National Teacher Awards distribution ceremony 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan on September 5, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Instituted in 1958, the National Award to Teachers are given away by the President of India on 5th September (Teacher's Day) every year to give public recognition to meritorious teachers working in primary, middle and secondary schools. Altogether there are 374 awards out of which 20 awards are reserved for Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic teachers. Each State/Union Territory/Organization has an earmarked quota based on the number of teachers. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 5: Smriti Irani, Minister of Human Resource Development during the National Teacher Awards distribution ceremony 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan on September 5, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Instituted in 1958, the National Award to Teachers are given away by the President of India on 5th September (Teacher's Day) every year to give public recognition to meritorious teachers working in primary, middle and secondary schools. Altogether there are 374 awards out of which 20 awards are reserved for Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic teachers. Each State/Union Territory/Organization has an earmarked quota based on the number of teachers. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- A day after the IIT council met on Tuesday, minister for human resources Smriti Irani announced that differently-abled students will not have to pay fees at the premier institutes for higher studies. Irani is the ex-officio chairperson of the council that oversees the sixteen autonomous public institutes of higher learning in India.

"Happy to report that IIT Council has decided to waive off fees for our physically challenged students," tweeted Irani on Wednesday morning. She had earlier said that several "good decisions" had been taken at the 49th council meeting, which was held yesterday in Mumbai.

Happy to report that IIT Council has decided to waive off fees for our physically challenged students.

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 7, 2015

HRM @smritiirani chaired the 49th IIT council meeting in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/v9uPQ56tku

— Ministry of HRD (@HRDMinistry) October 6, 2015

Earlier reports indicated that the council may increase the fees for undergraduate studies by three times from the present annual fee of Rs 90,000. The HRD ministry pays for most of the expenses to run the IITs.

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