KSLU Students Protest Fee Hike, Demand Compliance with Court Order

Dozens of students at Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) staged a protest on the Hubballi campus, demanding a rollback of what they termed an indiscriminate fee hike. The demonstration, organised by the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), highlighted several issues affecting students.

The protesters criticised the university for increasing the fee structure from ₹3,700 to ₹8,580 in 2025, calling it a 129% hike. They noted that the Karnataka High Court had ruled the increase illegal and ordered the university to reimburse the extra amount collected. However, KSLU has appealed against the order, a move the students condemned.

ABVP central executive committee member Sachin Kulageri said, 'The High Court has ruled that the 129% increase in fee is illegal and ordered reimbursement. Yet, the university has appealed, which is highly condemnable. KSLU must adhere to the court order and reduce the fees.'

Students also objected to the revision of re-evaluation fees from ₹260 in 2023 to ₹368 in 2026, a 31% hike, exceeding the University Grants Commission's (UGC) guideline of a 15% increase every three years.

Additionally, the protest demanded that all law graduates, not only those with First Class marks, be allowed to attend the annual convocation. They also sought that the university charge only postal fees for sending convocation certificates to graduates receiving them in absentia.

KSLU Vice-Chancellor C. Basavaraju responded by assuring the students that he would convene a meeting with officials and student leaders to discuss and resolve the issues.

The protest was led by ABVP office-bearers Venkatesh Dange, Abhishek Doddamani, Sanat Totiger, and Manikanth Desai.