Fierce attempts are being made by students of Allahabad University on the matter of fee hikes. A student allegedly tried to burn himself from the top of the university building, demanding the rollback of the decision. Four more students on Tuesday allegedly attempted to burn themselves by putting kerosene on themselves, and another student consumed kerosene outside the vice-chancellor’s office according to authorities.
Hundreds of students from the university are heavily protesting against the fee hike which is calculated to be 400 times the current fee for some of the courses at the university which is unacceptable for the students. A group of students are leading the protest under ‘Chhatrasangh Sanyukt Sangharsh’ and demanding the rollback of the fee hike.
According to the University management; the decision is an important move to reduce dependence on the government and ensure quality. According to an official statement, the stating fact that despite the hike the courses are affordable when compared with other central universities costing an undergraduate degree in science will cost Rs 4,151.
The college fee at Allahabad University for the past 110 years has been just Rs 12 which was not sufficient to pay running costs of electricity bills and other maintenance.
According to the students of the University, with the increasing cost of living, downward economy, and many other factors, such a hike is unacceptable.
The students clearly have three demands. Firstly, the rollback of the fee hike by the university authorities, secondly a half reduction in fees for batch 2022-2033, and lastly, the return on the fees paid during the pandemic.
