IIT Bombay Students Stage Protest Over Fee Hike

Students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) on Thursday, 22nd June, boycotted all the classes and staged a march against the fee hike which the institute introduced last month. Nearly 200 IIT-B students gathered around 9am in the morning and marched in protest on campus. They were holding banners asking to roll back fee hike.

Last month, administration of IIT-B announced a fee hike for the coming academic session with 167% fee hike in gymkhana, 300% hike in hostel rent, 100% hike in examination, medical and registration fees and around 50% increase in other charges. However, students across all course programmes including research scholars were upset with the fee hike introduced as it was only last year that the university had doubled its fee.

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Earlier, students launched a signature campaign where it received participation of around 700 students. A representation letter was sent to the university administration. But, the students have claimed that no response was received from the administration leading to the student march protest on Thursday asking the Dean and Director of Student Affairs to have a discussion on the matter.

Devang Khakhar, director of the Institute ensuring to consider students’ plea said that the management will take their request seriously. However, when asked about fee revision, Khakhar said that the decision will be made after consulting the senior administrators.

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Dean of student affairs, Soumyo Mukherjee justifying the fee hike said that although students have a right to go against the decision, they should also understand the situation of the institute. It is due to the inflation that the varsity has come up with the fee hike.