Students Protest Fee Hike: Calls for Action Intensify at AMU

In an escalating protest at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the All India Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has reached out to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, seeking an urgent rollback of a recent fee hike. The Association argues that this increase, ranging from 36 to 42 percent for some courses, threatens access to higher education for students from underprivileged families.

Nasir Khehami, the national convenor, highlighted that the fee for courses like B.Lib had surged from Rs 16,000 to over Rs 22,000. Meanwhile, AMU Proctor Wasim Ali defended the increase as a necessary measure to enhance infrastructure, a decision backed by several committees. Yet, critics say the burden disproportionately affects students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Efforts to address students' concerns have included a call for feedback via social media and a committee led by Prof M Asmer Beg collecting suggestions about the fee hike. The protests, now in their fifth day, also demand the overdue student union elections and highlight allegedly poor student living conditions. Several Opposition MPs have expressed concern over recent crackdowns on protestors.

(With inputs from agencies.)