Over a 100 students at IIT Guwahati staged a protest on campus on Tuesday, July 22, around 12 noon against a sudden fee hike across various programmes, including PhD, MTech and BTech. Students raised concerns about the financial strain imposed by the increase, especially on scholars who are already managing family responsibilities and educational loans.
Chanting slogans like “Kam karo, kam karo, fee hike kam karo”, the protestors marched through the campus, voicing their frustration over the administration’s decision. According to sources within the institute, the semester fees for PhD students have been hiked by Rs 10,900 for the July-November 2025 semester — a jump from Rs 34,800 in the previous January-May semester to Rs 45,700.
Speaking to media, scholars alleged, “There has been a sudden increase in fees by approximately Rs 10,000 for existing PhD students. This hike is unreasonable, especially for those of us who are supporting our families or have loans to repay. The same has been implemented for other courses like MTech and BTech as well.”
Students had earlier held an open session with the institute’s administration on July 17 to voice their concerns. However, they claim that the meeting did not lead to any resolution.
On July 22, students again assembled on campus, this time under the scorching sun, after some were reportedly denied course registration for not paying the revised fees. The issue has left many feeling disheartened.
The students have demanded a rollback of the hike, greater transparency in decision-making, and financial consideration for scholars and students from economically weaker backgrounds.
As the protests continue to swell, the IIT Guwahati administration is yet to issue an official statement.
