Protests against fee hikes at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have now entered their fifth day.
Large numbers of students boycotted classes and organized an indefinite sit-in at Bab-e-Syed Gate. Their demands include immediate roll back of the newly increased fee to the long-overdue conduct of student union elections and the removal of some senior officials they hold responsible for the crisis.
Students Decry Unjust Hike
According to the All India Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, fee structure of different courses is up by 30-42%. Examples cited by Nasir Khehami, national convenor of the association, include the Bachelor of Library Science program which went up from ₹16,000 to over ₹22,000.
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He argued that this increase lays an unfair burden on students from economically weaker sections, socially backward classes, and working-class families struggling to meet even basic living costs.
University Defends Decision
AMU Proctor Wasim Ali stated that the fee hike which ranges from ₹500 to ₹1,500 depending on the course was a decision taken jointly by several committees, and its main objective was to improve the infrastructure of the university.
Spokesperson for AMU Omar Peerzada supported this by saying that the university has given a pro forma to all the present students for suggestions in the interest of addressing their grievances.
Demand for Accountability
The Association has further requested that the Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan not only intervene to revoke the hike but also to look into the alleged assaults on peaceful protesters last Friday.
According to students, they were thrust off the protest site during Friday prayers, which they claim is a manifestation of an absence of any democratic student representation at AMU, considering that student union elections were not held for the last eight years.
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Living Conditions Under Scrutiny
Besides fees, students have raised alarms regarding poor living conditions in overcrowded hostels that are said to be lacking in sanitation and hygiene. The Association has remarked that these facilities are ‘pathetic’ and unworthy for thousands of students that are residing there.
Political and Public Reactions
Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) have written a letter to Vice-Chancellor Prof. Naima Khatoon condemning the crackdown on protestors and expressing concern over the escalation of unrest.
While the deadlock remains, the issue has crossed the boundaries of a campus dispute and morale questioning of accessibility, transparency, and governance in public universities.
