Powers of Fee Regulatory Committee

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force or in any judgment, decree or order of any court or authority or in any agreement, the Fee Regulatory Committee shall determine the fee structure for admission of students in the professional courses. Different fee structure may be determined for admission of students in different professional courses and for different professional educational colleges or institutions and for students from other States and students who are Foreign Nationals and NRI. (2) The Fee Regulatory Committee shall have power to,- (a) require any unaided professional educational college or institution to place before it the proposed fee structure for such college or institution alongwith all the relevant documents and the books of accounts; (b) verify whether the fee structure proposed by such college or institution is justified; (c) approve the fee structure for such college or institution or determine other fee structure which shall be charged by such college or institution for admission of students in the professional courses: Provided that the unaided professional educational college or institution may raise the fee up to five per cent. of existing fee for the fee block upto three years, or make any reduction in the existing fees without following the procedure as referred to in clauses (a) and (b) above. However, the unaided professional educational college or institution shall provide a "Declaration cum Undertaking" regarding the revised fee structure under this section in the form of affidavit as may be prescribed. (2A) Any unaided college or institution may charge differential fee for different courses/branch subject to the maximum ceiling prescribed by Fee Regulatory Committee. (3) The fee structure so determined by the Fee Regulatory Committee shall be binding to the unaided professional educational colleges or institutions for a period of three years. The fee so determined shall be applicable to a student who is admitted to a professional educational college or institution in that academic year and shall not be revised till the completion of his professional course in that college or institution. (4) The unaided professional educational college or institution shall not be allowed to charge or collect any fee other than the fees determined by the Committee under sub-section (1) and shall not be allowed to collect the fee at a time amounting to more than one term fee from a student in an academic year. (5) (a) The Fee Regulatory Committee shall have powers for the purpose of making inquiry under this Act, of a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 while trying a suit in respect of the following matters, namely:- (i) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any witness and examining him on oath; (ii) requiring the discovery and production of any document; (iii) receiving evidence on affidavit; and (iv) issuing commission for examination of witnesses for local inspection; (b) any proceeding before such committee shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 and for the purposes of section 196 of the Indian Penal Code.