The principal of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur, said waning contribution from donors was affecting the college’s ability to provide economic assistance to underprivileged students amid the Covid-induced financial crisis.
Swami Ekachittananda, the principal, also said since financial distress among many students had increased many times, the college was not sure whether they would be able to pay even the reduced session charges.
At the same time, decline in contribution from donors has left the authorities hamstrung.
“We are not sure to what extent we can continue this seva yajna as far as the economic assistance to the underprivileged is concerned,” the principal said in his convocation address at the college on Saturday.
A college official said that since the alumni and others would come up with overwhelming support before the pandemic struck in March 2020, the college could extend support to students from underprivileged backgrounds.
Factors like slump in business, pay cut in the family, retrenchments — the outcome of the pandemic — are coming in the way of donations, he said.
“In the post-Covid situation, the whole country is facing a severe financial crisis. Those who support us might be encountering this. A large number of students of the college are from socially and economically marginalised sections. Their financial distress has worsened amid the pandemic,” the principal told The Telegraph on Sunday.
“If we don’t receive adequate support, it will pose challenges for us to help those students.”
Mobilisation of sufficient resources is required to upgrade laboratories.
“In the post-pandemic period this may again be an arduous task,” Swami Ekachittananda said on Saturday while listing out the challenges.
This newspaper had earlier reported that the long economic slump because of the pandemic ate into donations to charitable platforms that were providing free food to the poor in the city and in districts and many had to shut community kitchens.
The college in Belur is charging reduced fees even after it reopened its hostels for in-person classes from November 16 because of the Covid-induced economic hardship.