What about capitation fee in engg, medical colleges: Chidambaram's challenge to Modi on going cashless

Capitation fee is often paid in cash by aspiring parents for out-of-turn admission of their children into prestigious private medical and engineering colleges across India.

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What about capitation fee in engg, medical colleges: Chidambaram's challenge to Modi on going cashless

In Short

  • Chidambaram asked Modi if he can promise that parents wouldn't have to pay capitation fee to colleges.
  • Capitation fee is paid in cash by parents for out-of-turn admission of their children.
  • His attack comes at the time of Modi's aggressive campaign for cashless economy.

Throwing a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his aggressive campaign of a cashless economy, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram today asked if he can promise that no capitation fee will be paid by parents for their wards' admission into medical and engineering colleges.

"I am throwing another challenge to the PM. In the months of May and June, engineering, medical colleges will open and capitation fee will be taken. Can the Prime Minister assure that the parents need not worry? That no capitation fee will be asked or taken. Can he give that promise?" Chidambaram asked.

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Capitation fee is often paid in cash by aspiring parents for out-of-turn admission of their children into prestigious private medical and engineering colleges across India.

"When the Prime Minister talks of a cashless society, he talks of something that never happened anywhere. He has no right to decide that. He should look into global phenomena also. In the US, cash flow is around 42 per cent, in France it is 56 per cent. It's people's choice to use cash or card," Chidambaram said at a Congress event in New Delhi.

"In this country, farmers, salary class workers need cash to meet their daily needs. Three objective was told by the PM on 8th November: counterfeit currency, black money and corruption. I challenge the PM to put all those promises to test," he said.

Chidambaram demanded that the government must give compensation to farmers, who he said suffered badly because of the demonetisation drive. "I demand that the government must compensate kin of those who lost their lives because of this action," he said.

The Opposition has alleged nearly 150 deaths across India since the banning of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, announced by Modi in a televised address on November 8.

Also read: Demonetisation is Modi's Napoleon moment: Amartya Sen to India Today

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