Stalemate over fee hike in Punjabi varsity continues

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 28

The deadlock between Punjabi University students and the administration regarding the increase in the course fee continued for the fourth day today. Over 600 students held a protest march on the campus, while a number of events were going on there, including an expert discussion on farm laws and an awareness seminar organised with the DLSA. The students have been holding an indefinite protest outside the office of the Vice-Chancellor.

Students associated with a number of organisations, including PRSU, Democratic Students’ Organisation, Punjab Student Union, AISF and PSU (Lalkar) are leading the protest.

Students said they have raised a number of demands with the university, including increased fees, various scams on the campus and need of a special grant for the university. “We have held two meetings with the university. The main issue being raised with the university is fees. The university during a meeting has offered to reduce overdue library book fees but no consensus has been reached on the issues,” they said.

The students said the reduction in high fee for newly launched courses was also being discussed by the university.

“We held a demonstration outside the Kala Bhawan and also met the farmer leaders who had come to participate in an expert discussion on farm laws. We are against the privatisation of education”, Sandeep Kaur, a student leader associated with the PRSU said.

The student leaders said they were making efforts to meet the higher education minister over the matters as well.