Bodo Medium 'UN Academy' Deducts Fees for 20,000 Students amid Lockdown

Kokrajhar, April 25, 2020:

Responding to the appeal from Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to cut down 50% percent monthly tuition fees for students studying in private institutions across the country, the Upendra National Academy, a privately managed Bodo medium school, has cut down 50% of the students' fees for the month of April.

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Approximately, the academy will forego Rs 1 crore. Nearly 20,000 students are taking pursuing their studies under UN Academy Schools in different districts of the state. In the Kokrajhar campus of the UN Academy itself, this will mark a deduction of Rs 16 lakh from the academy's usual earnings.

Krishna Gopal Basumatary, Director of the UN Academy in Kokrajhar says that the UN Academy management board has welcomed the decision of the state government and education department to deduct 50% of the fees for students in the month of April.

He said that the school authority has followed the guidelines and directions to strictly follow the lockdown rules and maintaining social distancing in the state to combat against the COVID-19, and urged all sections of society to follow the Government's protocol.

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It is to be mentioned here that the Bodo-medium UN Academy has been imparting quality education in Bodo medium schools across the state and was established in 2002.

Government's Directive:

Assam Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on April 22 said that the Education Department has directed all the private schools in the state to slash the fees of students upto class 12 in the month of March by 50% amid the COVID-19 outbreak. If a school/institution has already collected the fees, it will be deducted in the month of May, Sarma said.

Sarma also said that the schools cannot increase fees without informing the Government. “As long as corona pandemic continues, no school can raise fees without prior approval of Government”, he said, adding, “there is no scope for Government giving the permission till now”.

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