Fresh Protests at IIT Guwahati Over Steep Fee Hike, Students Cry Foul

Tensions have escalated once again at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati as hundreds of students resumed protests on Wednesday against a steep and sudden hike in academic fees across programmes—BTech, MTech, and PhD—calling the move “arbitrary, unjust, and exclusionary.” With no meaningful dialogue from the administration despite growing unrest, students say they are being pushed to the edge both financially and mentally.

Over 300 students gathered for the protest on the second consecutive day, alleging that the administration has not only refused to engage in constructive discussion but has also shown disregard for student concerns. “No one from the administration has come to talk to us. They’ve been rude, dismissive, and outright negligent,” a protesting student told Pratidin Time, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Sudden Fee Hike Without Consultation

The flashpoint for the protest is a recent hike in semester fees—by as much as ₹10,900—without any prior consultation or transparency. A PhD student explained, “Just three weeks ago, we received a mail informing us that our semester fees had been raised from ₹34,800 to ₹45,700. Many students here are managing with loans or already stretched finances. There was no warning, no student representation in the decision.”

According to students, an open house was held on July 17 after backlash over the announcement, but the meeting failed to yield any resolution. Student representatives opposed the hike, but no official roll-back or revision was communicated. “The administration said they’d review it. But since then, silence. Nothing concrete has come out,” the student added.

Exclusion by Financial Constraint

The situation worsened on Tuesday, the official registration day for the semester. Students who could not afford to pay the revised fees were blocked from registering for the next six months. “They’ve essentially barred us from continuing our education unless we pay up,” said another PhD scholar. “Those who haven’t paid—which is about 70% of us—are now in limbo. Our stipends might be withheld, and we may be denied mess access from tomorrow.”

The administration has extended the registration deadline to July 29, but students are skeptical. “They’re just buying time. They refused to provide any written assurance. Everything is verbal. We asked for a mail confirming some relief, but they didn’t commit to anything,” one protester told Pratidin Time.

There are also whispers of intimidation. Some students allege that they’ve been discouraged from protesting, warned that “nothing positive will come of it.” Undeterred, students from the PhD community are now planning a candlelight march tonight. Another round of protests is expected on Thursday.

A Disturbing Trend in Higher Education

This episode is not an isolated one. Across India, public academic institutions are slowly but surely succumbing to an alarming trend—pricing out their own students. Fee hikes have become the norm, often enforced mid-course and without dialogue. While premier institutions were once a symbol of accessible, merit-based education, they now risk becoming elite fortresses, accessible only to those who can afford the escalating costs.

What makes the IIT Guwahati hike particularly unjust, students argue, is that it has been imposed on continuing students, not just incoming batches. “No other IIT has done this. For new students, a hike might be debatable, but to target those already enrolled and financially committed is deeply unfair,” a student said.

Adding to the sense of betrayal is the glaring mismatch between stipend hikes and fee hikes. “They increased our stipend by 18%, but jacked up our fees by 33%. That’s not inflation adjustment. That’s exploitation,” a PhD student pointed out.

Institutional Apathy or Systemic Failure?

The real issue, however, runs deeper than numbers. Students accuse IIT Guwahati’s administration of institutional apathy—an unwillingness to recognize the lived realities of its own scholars. “Many of us come from modest backgrounds. We came here believing education was a right, not a privilege. But the message now is: pay up or drop out,” said one protester.

The emotional toll is equally serious. Students describe an atmosphere of anxiety, helplessness, and growing distrust. Some are contemplating dropping out or deferring their degrees. “We are scholars, not clients. We expected academic nurturing, not economic arm-twisting.”

A Cry for Equity and Accountability

At its core, this protest is not just about a fee hike. It is a rejection of the creeping commodification of public education in India. As institutions once built to uplift India’s brightest now become unaffordable for many, a fundamental question looms: Who is our education system really serving?

“The administration owes us more than an inflated bill,” one student said. “It owes us transparency, empathy, and above all, a commitment to equity. Education should not be held hostage to balance sheets.”

Until IIT Guwahati reconsiders its stance, the students say they will continue their protest—not just as an act of defiance, but as a moral call to preserve the soul of public education.

Also Read: Is IIT Guwahati Using Fee Hikes to Fill Budget Gaps at Students’ Expense?

Also Read: Burdened With Loans, Students at IIT Guwahati Fight for Fairness