Ranchi: The Jharkhand Academic Council has raised the examination fees for the 2026 matric and intermediate board examinations. According to the notification, the matric fee has risen by as much as 340 rupees and the intermediate fee by up to 290 rupees.
The council stated that there had been no major revision for several years, but the rise in budgetary needs has led to an increase of roughly one quarter in the fee structure.
Nearly seven and a half lakh students sit for these examinations each year. About four lakh are matric candidates and a little over three lakh appear for the intermediate examination. The change is expected to place an added financial burden on students and families across the state.
The sharpest rise has come in the category of independent and private candidates. The base fee for matric without late charge has gone up by 240 rupees and with late charge by 340 rupees. For regular boys the fee has increased from 740 to 980 rupees, and for girls from 940 to 1180 rupees. The private category now matches the same rate for girls.
The council has fixed a uniform fee for girls across all categories. For boys, the rate remains the same for the general and economically weaker sections. The OBC, SC and ST categories have also seen revised figures.
Under the revised matric schedule, regular candidates will now pay 980 rupees, rising to 1480 with late charge. Private candidates will pay 1180 rupees, or 1680 with late charge. For general and EWS candidates, the fee stands at 1180 rupees, with the late charge bringing the amount to Rs 1680.
AISA warns of statewide stir if JAC fails to roll back exam fee hike
Ranchi, Nov 19: Student protests intensified on Wednesday after the All India Students’ Association (AISA) condemned the Jharkhand Academic Council’s (JAC) recent decision to hike examination fees for Matric and Intermediate exams for 2026. In a press release, AISA termed the increase a “direct blow to poor and tribal students.”
According to the organisation, JAC has raised the Matric exam fee by Rs 290 and the Intermediate fee by Rs 340, pushing the total Intermediate examination cost to Rs 1900. AISA argued that this hike comes at a time when the state is already battling economic inequality and educational challenges.
“This decision will hit the poorest families the hardest,” AISA stated, noting that nearly 70% of rural Jharkhand families fall under the BPL category and per capita income in the state is 40% below the national average. Increasing exam fees under such conditions, AISA said, is equivalent to “pushing students out of the education system.”
The organisation questioned the basis of the fee hike, pointing out that JAC reported a Rs 42 crore surplus for 2023–24. “When JAC already has a massive surplus, on what grounds is such a steep fee increase being imposed without any consultation with students or parents?” the statement asked.
AISA further argued that neighbouring states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh charge significantly lower exam fees, making Jharkhand’s rates appear to be “commercialisation of education.” Additionally, the latest UDISE+ data shows a 47:1 student–teacher ratio at the higher secondary level, indicating severe teacher shortages.
AISA state secretary Triloki Nath warned, “If the government does not roll back the fee hike, we will be compelled to launch a statewide agitation.”
