Savitribai Phule Pune University committee recommends 77% reduction in ILS Law College fee structure

Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has recommended an approximately 88% reduction in the "Other Activities Fees" payable by students of Indian Law Society's (ILS) Law College, Pune, bringing the component down from ₹36,460 to ₹4,340 per student.

The fee fixation committee's recommended structure for 2026-27, obtained through an application filed before the University by Krushnakant Sathe, a General Secretary of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), shows several heads that ILS had previously charged being brought to nil.

These include Debating Fee (earlier ₹580), Physical Fitness/Swimming/Gymnasium (earlier ₹2,750), Cultural Activities Fee (earlier ₹2,555), Maintenance of Equipment (earlier ₹2,255), Research Activities (earlier ₹720) and Games & Recreation (earlier ₹2,200).

Other heads have seen steep reductions as well - Moot Court Fee from ₹3,850 to ₹1,000; E-learning Equipment from ₹5,500 to ₹250; Print Resources from ₹3,850 to ₹50; Electronic Resources from ₹4,950 to ₹1,000; and Legal Aid Fee from ₹1,100 to ₹70.

The documents were placed on record today at a press conference convened in Pune by Vidhivat Legal Consortium, the law firm that had represented ILS student Mayur Suhas Garud in proceedings before the Bombay High Court over alleged unauthorised fee collection by the college.

Factoring in the remaining tuition and other fee components, the firm estimates the revised total annual fee at approximately ₹9,515, against ₹41,635 in 2024-25, representing a reduction of nearly 77% in the overall fee burden on students.

The dispute preceding this development began with a Right to Information (RTI) response obtained by Garud. The RTI revealed that the college, despite receiving financial support from the State government and the University Grants Commission, had collected ₹29.64 crore over 5 years under fee heads not approved by the University. Of this amount, only ₹4.09 crore had been utilised toward student welfare. This prompted Garud and Sathe to file a complaint before the Charity Commissioner.

Garud subsequently filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court, alleging that ILS had collected ₹1,04,863 from him across academic years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2024-25 under unapproved heads, in violation of the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee) Act, 1987. He sought a refund of that amount.

In February this year, a Bench of Justices RI Chagla and Advait M Sethna disposed of the petition after the State government undertook to decide on Garud's complaint within a week. The Directorate of Higher Education followed with letters on April 13 and 15 directing ILS to refund ₹1,04,863 with interest and submit a compliance report.

ILS challenged these before the High Court, contending that the orders were without jurisdiction, non-speaking and based on an undisclosed inquiry report issued without hearing the college. It further argued that the three-member inquiry committee had exceeded its limited remit by commenting on students beyond the individual complainant and that the State had merely forwarded the committee's views rather than applying an independent mind.

On May 7, the State told the Court that it would recall the April order, furnish ILS a copy of the inquiry report, hold a fresh personal hearing for all parties and pass a new order within four weeks. On this basis, the Bench disposed of ILS's petition. That fresh order is still awaited.

Against this backdrop, Vidhivat Legal Consortium said today that the fee revision represents substantial success in the principal objective behind the litigation. The firm also flagged that despite the revision being reflected in official SPPU documents, ILS had not communicated any information about the changes to students for the upcoming academic year.

It further noted that ILS' fees had for a considerable period been significantly higher than those of other aided law colleges affiliated to SPPU, and that the revised structure now appears more in line with fee levels at peer institutions.

The firm also used the occasion to draw attention to the statutory mechanisms available to students across Maharashtra for scrutinising college fee structures. These include the Fee Fixation Committee for aided colleges and the Fee Regulatory Authority for unaided colleges, both operating under the Maharashtra Public Universities Act.

When contacted, ILS Law College Principal Deepa Paturkar declined to comment, saying that the matter was sub judice. It is, however, pertinent to note that the writ petition filed by Garud before the Bombay High Court has been disposed of. What remains pending is a fresh administrative order that the State government undertook to pass within four weeks of May 7, after agreeing to recall its earlier refund directions.