Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has launched a formal investigation into cases where students allegedly did not pay their fees following the institution's transition from a manual to an online payment system. The issue came to light recently, prompting the university administration to take swift action.
Committee Formed to Uncover Details
The university has constituted a four-member committee to probe the matter thoroughly. The panel includes the university's registrar, the Controller of Examination and Admission, a nominee of the Vice-Chancellor, and the Finance Officer. This committee was initially expected to submit its findings within 30 days, though sources indicate the report is still pending.
According to officials, the problem surfaced when students from the self-finance category discovered outstanding dues against their names while attempting to collect their academic documents after course completion. "That is when we realised that they had not paid their fees," an AMU official stated. The full scale of the issue remains unclear, as the university is still determining the exact number of affected students.
Transition from Manual to Online Process
University sources confirmed that this is the first instance of such an issue arising. The fee payment system was entirely manual before the Covid-19 pandemic, with the shift to an online processing system occurring during the health crisis. This transition appears to have created discrepancies in fee reconciliation.
"In the case of some students, they have collected their degrees. The committee is looking into these instances and determining the number of students who have left the institute without paying fees," the official added. The situation suggests a potential gap in the verification process during the system migration.
New Fee Management Cell Established
In a parallel move to streamline operations and prevent future issues, AMU set up a dedicated Fee Management Cell in September. A professor has been appointed as an adviser to this cell, with a mandate to design and implement a more efficient, automated, and technology-driven fee collection process.
The adviser's responsibilities include integrating digital payment platforms and developing procedures to enhance transparency, minimize errors, and ensure timely processing of all fee-related transactions. This proactive step aims to modernize the university's financial administration.
The AMU's public relations office has sought to clarify the situation, stating, "We wish to clarify that the matter relates to a mismatch arising during the transition from the offline fee-processing system to the online mode introduced during the Covid period." The office further emphasized that the newly formed Central Fee Management Cell is already working to reconcile the disputed fees.
The development highlights the challenges educational institutions can face when digitizing legacy administrative processes rapidly, especially under circumstances like a global pandemic. AMU's response, involving both an investigative committee and a permanent structural solution, reflects an effort to address both the immediate problem and its root cause.
