‘We Didn’t Get Into AMU Through Privilege, Don’t Push Us Out With Fees’

"The administration forcibly tried to clear the protest site at midnight, breaking the trust between us and them."

Students at AMU have been protesting on campus since 3 August.

(Image altered by The Quint/Aroop Mishra)

I am a student of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and like all of us here, I did not find my way into this campus through privilege, but by cracking the entrance exam. We secured our place through merit, hours of study, sacrifices made by our families, and an unwavering faith that education could transform our lives. 

However, today we are presented with a scenario in which merit alone is no longer sufficient; economic barriers seem to push us into the background.

The university’s sudden decision to impose a fee hike is breaking our backs. My fee for the MA Sociology course for first year in the 2024–25 session was Rs 7,045. It has been raised to Rs 9,075 in the second year— an increase of more than 28%.

The hike has been even steeper in other courses. My friend, Syed Abid Haider, who is enrolled in the Bachelor of Library and Information Science, saw his fee jump from Rs 16,025 to Rs 20,900—an increase of over 30%.

The administration says that they have increased the fee to up to 20% only, but in reality, we are being asked to pay way over that. 

'Risk Of Exclusion'

For over a century, AMU has been a university that values merit over social strata, imparting knowledge to students from all walks of life.

Even today, AMU remains one of the most affordable central universities in India. It is for this reason that students from some of the most marginalised communities and regions are able to pursue an education here.

“My father is a farmer in Basantpur village in West Champaran district of Bihar. I am the first from my village to attend a central university. Our family relies entirely on farming, but the income is low because our region is flood-prone. For students like me, this fee hike means exclusion. If tuition keeps rising, I fear many others will lose this rare chance at education.”

Abdur Rehman, MA Political Science, AMU

Abdur is not the only student who comes from a humble background, and is bearing the brunt of the hike.

Sadiya Khan, a native of Uttar Pradesh pursuing a Bachelors degree at AMU’s Women’s College, says, "This fee hike will force me to discontinue my studies. The Prime Minister talks about Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, but such increases make it impossible for girls like me to pursue higher education."

Kunal Pandey, another MA Political Science student, says it will be difficult for his family to bear the burden of the fee hike when they are already in extreme financial stress. "Understanding the situation of families like us, we request the administration to roll back the fee hike," says Kunal, whose father runs a kirana store in Kanpur.

We have been requesting and protesting peacefully against the hike since 3 August, but the administration has not been listening to our pleas.

Instead, they forcibly tried to clear the protest site at midnight, breaking the trust between students and authorities even further.

‘Reinstate Student Union Elections’

Since 2018, the university has barred student union elections. This lack of representation has not only created a void between students and the administration but has also led to widespread miscommunication.

For years, students have been demanding elections from the university, but there has been complete silence from their side on this.

Students have three broad demands from the administration: full reversal of the fee hike, reinstating AMU student union elections, and resignation of the proctor for their conduct with the protesting students.

If our demands are not met, we are going to continue our protest.

The Quint spoke to the Public Relations Officer at AMU, but they refused to comment on the matter. We have also sent a mail to the AMU administration regarding the issues raised by students. Their response is awaited, and the story will be updated once it is received.

Meanwhile, on 14 August, in a written statement, the AMU administration said: "In response to the ongoing student protests over the recent fee hike, the Academic Council of Aligarh Muslim University, in a special online meeting today, unanimously approved recommendations to cap the fee hike at 20% for continuing students and introduce support measures."

"In addition, the Vice-Chancellor’s office issued a memo stating that, on the students’ request, a Disciplinary Committee meeting will be convened soon. The memo also confirmed that AMU Students’ Union (AMUSU) elections will be held at an appropriate time, as per Lyngdoh Committee guidelines," the statement further added.

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