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Aryabhatta College’s official fee notices show a sharp rise in annual fees for 2026-27, with B.A. (Hons.) Psychology recording the steepest increase among all courses.

Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi, has raised annual fees for regular second and third-year students across all courses for the academic year 2026-27, with the increase for B.A. (Hons.) Psychology emerging as the steepest, according to fee notices issued by the college and independently compared by DU Beat.

A comparison of the college’s fee notice dated 13 August 2025 and the notice dated 7 August 2026 shows the annual fee for second and third-year B.A.(Hons.) Psychology students rising from ₹22,415 to ₹30,612, an increase of ₹8,197, or approximately 36.6 percent. This is markedly higher than the increases recorded for other courses over the same period, which range from roughly 12.6 percent for Business Economics and Management Studies to 26.8 percent for B.Com and B.Com (Hons.). Mathematics saw an increase of approximately 22.6 percent, while English, Hindi, History and Political Science each rose by about 15.7 percent.

The trend is more pronounced among fourth-year students. A separate notice dated 21 August 2025 shows the fourth-year annual fee for Psychology was ₹22,415 in 2025-26, the same as the second and third-year rate that year. Under the 2026-27 notice, this has risen to ₹32,112, an increase of ₹9,697, or approximately 43.3 percent, the steepest rise recorded for any course. Comparable fourth-year increases ranged from about 17 percent for Business Economics, Management Studies and Computer Science, to roughly 34.5 percent for B.Com and B.Com (Hons.).

A student, who reached out to DU Beat on condition of anonymity, alleged that the fee notices did not carry any itemised explanation for the increase, and questioned what additional facilities students could expect in return. The student further claimed that a new academic building at the college, reportedly under construction since around 2019-20, remains only partially operational, with roughly 15 rooms in use and inadequate drinking water and washroom facilities in the block. DU Beat has not independently verified the status of the building or the college’s infrastructure at the time of publication.

Aryabhatta College has not issued an official statement explaining the rationale for the 2026-27 fee revision at the time of publication.

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Vidhi Ramchandani

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Students of Maitreyi College develop SUGAM, an inclusive indoor navigation system for persons with disabilities.

Students of Maitreyi College have developed SUGAM (Smart Universal Guided Accessible Mobility), an indoor navigation system that empowers people with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments to move through buildings independently. Maitreyi College says SUGAM is the country’s first student-led indoor navigation system designed with inclusivity at its core.

According to the press statement, the app is intended to create a more inclusive campus by making navigation easier for persons with disabilities and supporting their participation in academic programmes, extracurricular activities, college fairs, and events.

The system provides voice-guided navigation for users with visual impairments, step-by-step route assistance for those with mobility challenges, and visual as well as vibration-based notifications for individuals with hearing impairments. It also features multilingual support, a digital pass for campus entry and events, and an audio signage system that enables users without smartphones or digital literacy to navigate buildings independently.

The launch ceremony was held at Maitreyi College Campus on 26th July,2026, as the college commenced its Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It was attended by Dr Mathew Varghese, who conceptualised the project; Prof. Haritima Chopra, Principal of Maitreyi College; Prof. Smriti Singh, the project lead; former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, and the Registrar of the University of Delhi. At the launch, speakers described SUGAM as a home-grown innovation capable of transforming accessibility in hospitals, educational institutions, and commercial complexes.

The project was created through a collaborative effort involving students and faculty from the Departments of Computer Science, Physics, and Sociology. The college also credited CURE India, a nonprofit organisation working towards eradicating disabilities stemming from clubfoot across India; Dr. Prajwalit Shika, and Ameya Meattle, a Singapore-based high school student, for their contributions to the development of the audio signage feature.

Accessible navigation systems such as SUGAM address a significant gap in the design of public spaces, many of which are still difficult for persons with disabilities to navigate independently. While ramps, lifts, and tactile pathways improve physical access, navigating complex indoor environments often still requires assistance.

Digital accessibility tools can help by giving users real-time directions based on their needs, enabling them to move independently, participate more fully in education, employment, and public life, and depend less on others for assistance. As institutions increasingly adopt inclusive infrastructure, solutions like SUGAM show how technology can make public spaces easier and more accessible for everyone.

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Bishakha Gogoi

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