Fee hike: IIT-B students to go on indefinite hunger strike from August 6

MTech and PhD students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Powai, will go on an indefinite hunger strike starting August 6, unless their demands to roll back the proposed fee hike are met

Mumbai MTech and PhD students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Powai, will go on an indefinite hunger strike starting August 6, unless their demands to roll back the proposed fee hike are met.

Repeated attempts for a comment from the institute received no response (HT File)

Postgraduate students of the premier institute have been up in arms against the administration’s decision to hike fees by nearly 35%, which students have called arbitrary and uncalled for.

“We demand an immediate revocation of the recent fee hike. We also demand revocation of the resolution passed by the Board of Governors that recommends a 5% annual fee hike, based on which this particular fee hike was implemented,” highlighted a statement released by protesting students late on Thursday night. Students have also demanded the inclusion of student representatives in the fee hike committee.

Repeated attempts for a comment from the institute received no response.

This agitation started in early July when the IITB administration first proposed a fee hike of nearly 35% for all their postgraduate programmes. The authorities highlighted how the hike was approved by the Board of Governors nearly three years back, but its implementation was halted due to the pandemic. Students, however, have called the hike unfair.

In an open house discussion held earlier this week between the college administration and students, the administration stated that roll back was not possible. This prompted students to intensify their protests.

“In some courses, the hike is as high as 40-45%. In a year when the financial status of several families is just recovering from the effects of the pandemic, this hike is unjust. Several research scholars are taking care of their family as well as paying fees from their stipend, the amount for which has not increased in some time now,” said another protesting student.