Guwahati: Research scholars and MTech students at IIT Guwahati staged a protest on Tuesday against what they describe as an “exceptionally high” hike in fees. This year, the fee structure was increased not only for PhD students but also for BTech and MTech courses.
The protests, which began on Monday afternoon, quickly gained momentum, with students organizing marches overnight to garner more support.
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The unrest follows the administration’s alleged failure to honor promises made during an open house session on July 17, led by IIT Guwahati’s director, along with deans of student affairs, academic affairs, and other senior officials.
During the meeting, the administration assured students that they would reconsider the fee hike, but students claim the revised fees were still imposed without significant changes.
A PhD scholar, speaking anonymously, said, “An open house discussion was held last week where the administration said they were there to listen to us, but it seems they were just stalling for time.
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Tuesday, July 22, was the registration day for the July-November semester, but students couldn’t register without paying the increased fees. The administration failed to communicate the status of our registration, and we had been promised a fee revision following the open house.
As protests intensified, students attempting to register for the semester were allegedly stopped by departmental officers who cited non-payment of the revised fee. This led to further unrest on campus.
“Kam karo, kam karo, fee hike kam karo!” (Reduce fee hike!) became a rallying cry as students gathered in larger numbers, demanding the administration roll back the fee increases.
Research scholars, in particular, feel trapped—either pay the increased fees or face delays in their academic work. “Our research has already been stalled, and now we have to protest in this heat to be heard,” one PhD student lamented. Many scholars have refused to pay the hike until it is rolled back.
For PhD students, the fee has risen by Rs 10,900—from Rs 34,800 for the January-May semester to Rs 45,700 for the current July-November semester. Incoming PhD students are now expected to pay Rs 92,000, with future semesters likely to cost around Rs 57,000, which is Rs 20,000 more than their stipend, according to scholars.
Part-time PhD scholars have also been affected, with their fees rising sharply from Rs 2,500 to Rs 25,000 per semester.
Additionally, many students allege that IIT Guwahati has failed to release the House Rent Allowance (HRA) provided by the central government, adding to the financial burden of hostel fees.
As one scholar put it, “This means IIT-G is pocketing the money twice—both from the government and from us.”
Students have also criticized the revised fee structure, which includes increases in several categories. Mess fees have jumped from Rs 12,000 to Rs 22,000, and gymkhana fees have doubled from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000.
Medical fees have risen fivefold, from Rs 100 to Rs 500, while hostel rent has doubled from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000.
The hostel fund has increased nearly fourfold, from Rs 600 to Rs 2,200, and the registration fee has increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. Additionally, a new “fest fee” of Rs 1,300 has been introduced despite IIT Guwahati’s annual festival being a celebrated event in Northeast India.
The protests are expected to intensify as BTech students plan to join the movement today, adding more weight to the growing discontent.
As of now, IIT Guwahati has not issued any official statement addressing the ongoing protests or the fee hike issue.