NEW DELHI, January 28: The Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, Prof V.R. Mehta, has rejected the claims of certain professors that they have disciplinary powers to charge money from students to tackle attendance and copying problems.Law students of the Delhi University submitted a written complaint to the vice-chancellor and Registrar Prof K.K. Panda today accusing faculty members of Campus Law Centre I of charging Rs 20,000 from students who have not met attendance requirements.They also accused the professors of taking Rs 5,000 from students found copying during the exams. The complaint opened a Pandora's box with the accused professors claiming that they had ``disciplinary powers'' to do so.The students' complaint read: ``Professor in-charge of Campus Law Centre I, Prof S.L. Bhalla and Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof A.K. Kaul have made the centre a money-collecting centre. They charge Rs 5,000 from students who copy in the examination and Rs 20,000 from students whose attendance is less than 30 per cent.''Bhalla defended his decision: ``I know the students are approaching higher authorities with their grievances, but this is the only way to tackle the attendance problem. Law students don't attend classes. Very few of them have the required 66 per cent attendance. I have ordered them to deposit Rs 20,000 as security amount if they do not have the required attendance.'' The security amount, he says, will be deposited with the university.According to Bhalla, the punitive measure had helped as more students were taking their classes seriously. ``Fewer cases of copying were reported after my order was passed,'' Bhalla argued. Copies of the complaint were submitted to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the finance officer of DU, the registrar and the vice-chancellor.After examining the issue, Mehta said: ``We have examined the university rules today and have reached the conclusion that no professor can charge money without the permission of the university. No extra money can be collected from the students without the vice-chancellors's office granting permission. We will revise the concerned professor's order at the earliest''.
