GUWAHATI: Students of Gauhati University enrolled under the Five-Year Integrated Master Programme (FYIMP) and various self-financing courses have been staging protests on campus, demanding a waiver or reduction of fees across all FYIMP courses.
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The agitation, which has continued for several days, centres around what students describe as an “excessive” fee structure in a government-run university.
Speaking to G Plus, a student alleged that the semester fee for Arts students is around Rs 14,500, while Science students are charged Rs 16,500 and Commerce students nearly Rs 25,000, excluding examination fees.
“If such fees are charged in government universities, then what is the difference between private and government institutions?” the student questioned.
Another FYIMP student from outside Guwahati said the financial burden has become increasingly difficult to manage due to additional expenses such as accommodation, food and other daily necessities.
“As I am not a local resident of Guwahati, I also have to bear expenses for PG accommodation, food and other essentials. It is becoming very difficult to manage everything along with the fees,” the student said.
Gauhati University General Secretary Prabal Jyoti Sarma told G Plus that the issue has been repeatedly raised with the university authorities, but no concrete action has been taken so far.
He said that during a meeting held on May 9, the university administration informed student representatives that fees could not be reduced immediately due to a shortage of funds, adding that a significant portion of the available resources is being utilised for academic activities. He further claimed that government funding to the university has also reduced.
Sarma added that memorandums had been submitted several times to former Education Minister Ranoj Pegu regarding the issue, but no response had been received.
Attempts by G Plus to contact the concerned university authorities for their response remained unsuccessful till the filing of this report.
With protests continuing on campus, students are now awaiting a concrete response from the university administration and the state government regarding their demand for fee reduction and financial relief under the FYIMP and self-financing courses.