Pondicherry University students resort to indefinite strike over fee hike

PUDUCHERRY: After Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and several other central universities, students of the Pondicherry  University on Thursday began an indefinite protest over 'steep' fee hike.

The protesting students have been sitting on a dharna inside the Administrative block of the University, in response to a call by Pondicherry University Students council.  The council is urging the authorities to revoke the ‘steep’ hike in fees for all courses, scrapping of the newly-imposed transport fee and demanding implementation of 25 per cent reservation for Puducherry native students in all courses.

The University students boycotted classes and assembled in the Administrative block after overcoming the blocks put up by the University.  

The university administration had erected barricades in front of the admin block and locked the doors of the block to prevent the students from entering. 

However, the protesting students went vocal and raised their demands. They tried to force their way to meet the Vice-Chancellor but were denied permission by the security personnel. The Students' Council stated that the struggle would continue until the fee hike is revoked. 

Last year when the fee hike was proposed in the prospectus,  a hunger strike by representatives of the previous council had led to the University reducing the fees hike for MBA, MCA and M.Sc (Computer Science) courses and Ph D. 

A grievance committee was constituted with representatives of students council to address fee hike issues for all other courses and the administration put on hold on the transportation fee, said Parichay Yadav, President of Pondicherry University student’s student council. But despite the meetings, there has been no positive approach. “The administration has remained adamant on the academic fees for other courses and the transportation fee.  The Vice-Chancellor has never bothered to attend any of the grievance committee meetings,” he said.

It is an 83 per cent fee hike, which is very high, said Yadav. The total fees for all courses in 2018-2019 amounted to  Rs 4,42, 900, which has been raised to Rs 8,11,998, a hike of Rs 3,69, 098, he said. The hike is not uniform and for some courses, it is very high, he said.

It is important to realize that education is not a commodity for sale and is a struggle to retain public education accessible and affordable for every student, said Yadav. The revised fees structure would result in the denial of higher educational opportunities to many students from the poor economic and social background.  

“We oppose the agenda of MHRD and Pondicherry University Administration, who are trying to exclude a section of students from acquiring higher education in the country,” he said.