Dharwad Students Protest Sharp Fee Hike at Karnatak University
Dharwad, Karnataka: Hundreds of students from Karnatak Science College, a constituent college of Karnatak University, Dharwad (KUD), staged a protest on Wednesday against a significant increase in admission fees for the current academic year. The demonstration, organised under the banner of the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), saw students marching to the university campus under the 'University Chalo' slogan.
The protest concluded in front of the Vice-Chancellor's office, where participants held a sit-in and submitted a memorandum to university registrar N. Ramanjaneyalu. The registrar assured the students that their demands would be considered.
According to AIDSO district secretary Shashikala Meti, the fee hike amounts to an additional ₹6,413 for Bachelor of Science (BSc) students and ₹10,522 for Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) students compared to the previous year. Meti noted that the majority of students come from agrarian families already struggling with drought conditions, making the increased financial burden particularly severe.
Speaking at the protest, AIDSO state secretariat member Vinay Chandra accused the state government of gradually reducing grants to public educational institutions, thereby shifting financial pressure onto students. He claimed that such policies promote privatisation of education by pushing institutions toward self-financing models.
The protesters demanded an immediate rollback of the fee hike and a refund of the additional amounts already collected from some students. AIDSO office-bearers Shantesh Nandikolmath and Siddu Chippalakatti also led the demonstration.
The fee hike at Karnatak Science College comes amid broader concerns over rising costs of higher education in Karnataka, with student organisations and opposition parties frequently criticising the government's education funding policies. University officials have not yet issued a statement regarding the fee revision or the protest demands.
