All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) has appealed to the Nagaland University (NU) to reconsider its decision to revise fee structure for college affiliation.
In a representation addressed to the to the vice chancellor, Nagaland University, the ANCSU president Tenyesinlo Bukh and general secretary Kivinoka A Sema sought “immediate intervention” for the welfare of students and the college fraternity.
ANCSU stated that NU, through its notification dated January 21, 2025, drastically revised the fee structure for college affiliation. Acknowledging the need for a sustainable funding model for the university, the union has, however, expressed deep concern over the “financial strain this sudden fee hike will place on students and their families.”
ANCSU pointed out a vast majority of students in Nagaland come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It said that many families struggle to support their children’s education under the current fee structure, adding that “abrupt and excessive hike in fees” would only exacerbate their hardships.
The union maintained that any drastic policy change, such as a significant increase in affiliation fees, should be implemented in a phased manner after due consultation with stakeholders, including student representatives, college administrators, and parents.
Therefore, ANCSU has appealed to the vice chancellor to reconsider the revised fee structure and explore alternative measures for resource mobilization that did not disproportionately affect students.
The union cautioned that failure to address the issue could have serious repercussions, adding that NU would bear the responsibility for any negative impact on students’ educational pursuits.
NU facilitation Centres: The union also appealed to the NU to approve its proposal of establishing facilitation Centres at Meriema and Medziphema Campuses.
ANCSU stated that college authorities and students have been persistently raising concern regarding logistical difficulty of traveling to Lumami for official documentation and administrative work.
It said that many colleges faced considerable inconvenience in dispatching and receiving official files and documents due to the significant travel distance, which added to their financial burden and operational inefficiencies.
ANCSU said students also faced similar hardships when dealing with academic and administrative processes at the university headquarters. To address the longstanding issue, ANCSU proposed the establishment of facilitation centres at NU Meriema Campus (Kohima) and Medziphema Campus.
The union said that facilitation centres would serve as official extension offices to handle submissions, processing, and distribution of academic and administrative documents. It said that establishment of centres would significantly reduce logistical difficulties for colleges and students.
ANCSU also stressed that universities needed to adopt modern, student-friendly solutions.
In this regard, the union urged the university to introduce an online payment system for fees and transactions related to college affiliation, student records, and other administrative procedures.
“If complete digitization is not immediately feasible, the proposed facilitation centres should be authorized to handle financial transactions on behalf of the university, allowing students and institutions to conduct necessary transactions without the burden of traveling to Lumami,” ANCSU stated. The union expressed hope that Nagaland University would act in the best interest of its students and affiliated institutions.