The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) students have decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike on August 6 if their demands for a reversal of the proposed fee hike are not met.
Postgraduate students of the premier institute are against the administration’s decision to hike fees by nearly 35%, which students have called arbitrary.
“We demand an immediate revocation of the recent fee hike. We also demand revocation of resolution passed by the Board for governors that recommends a 5% annual fee hike, based on which this particular fee hike was implemented,” a statement released by protesting students said.
Students have also demanded for inclusion of student representatives in the fee hike committee.
This agitation started in early July, when the IIT-B administration first proposed a fee hike of nearly 35% for all their postgraduate programs.
“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 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 for some time now,” a protesting student said.