Kolkata, Aug 27 (IANS): In a major decision, the Calcutta University has waived tuition fees for the next semester in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The announcement was made via a notification issued by the university, making it the first educational institute in the state to waive tuition fees of the students. Other universities are expected to follow suit.

For the last few days, demand was growing for a fee waiver, as many people have lost their jobs during the pandemic, while several students are not in a position to meet the financial requirements of the educational institutions.

Due to Covid-19, all schools/colleges have stopped offline classes for over a year now. While online classes are on, one doesn't need to travel to the educational institutions. Therefore, multiple student bodies and a section of parents have been repeatedly demanding a fee waiver.

Much to their relief, the Calcutta University issued a notification on Thursday wherein it not only waived all tuition fees for the next semester, but also said that the arrears of the previous semester have also been waived.

CU Vice Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee said, "Many families have lost their income due to overcrowding. Many students have lost their parents. We have waived all the fees keeping in mind all of them."

The decision has been taken keeping in mind the Covid situation, the notification said.

According to sources in the university, the move will benefit nearly 13,000 students studying in undergraduate and post-graduate streams.

"We have partially opened the library. We have decided not to collect late fees from many students who could not return books on time," Chakraborty said.