While the committee members and PU Vice-Chancellor R C Sobti deny that such a fee would bar students belonging to the financially weaker sections from availing of the facility, the only logic provided by them is that the exhorbitant amount would mean that only genuine candidates would approach them. The Vice-Chancellor said: “I fully agree with and stand by the decision of the committee. With Rs 10,000 as the fee, only those who are actually having a problem will approach us.”

The committee members, meanwhile, have failed to explain why such a high amount has been proposed. Denying that the proposed fee will be out of reach of students from middle income group and those belonging to the financially weaker section, a committee member said: “Anyone desperate to know about his/her performance would arrange for the money.”

There is no provision to pay the fee in instalments, a move which is explained by the committee members a result of discussions and suggestions. The proposal, meanwhile, would be implemented only after it is approved by the Syndicate meeting scheduled on January 25.

This has caused a lot of resentment among students who feel that similar proposals regarding a hike in prospectus and forms of other courses will also be discussed in the meet.

Talking to Newsine, Parambir Singh Sunny, a member of the Students’ Organisation of India (SOI), said: “The hike is absolutely uncalled for and Rs 10,000 to see an answersheet cannot be justified at all.”

Sukhdev Kundu, president Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO), said: “The authorities need to justify as to what made them propose a fee which is as high as Rs 10,000 for a 32-page answer booklet.”