IIT-Guwahati students protest fee hike; institute says only small group opposing revision

guwahati: a section of students at the indian institute of technology-guwahati (iit-g) continued their indefinite sit-in protest for the second consecutive day on wednesday, opposing a “steep hike” in the fee structure for research scholars and post-graduate students.the protesters alleged that the hike, implemented despite assurances from the administration, has significantly burdened students, many of whom are unable to pay the revised amount.“our protest continued today and will go on until the fee hike is rolled back. although a negotiation was held with the management last week, no solution was reached,” a protesting student said, requesting anonymity. research scholars and mtech students have joined the sit-in protest on campus, he added.the students held an open house discussion with the institute administration, including the director, on july 17. “they had promised to explore a solution but instead went ahead with the hike. yesterday was the last day of registration, and we were unwilling to pay the increased amount,” the student said.the iit-guwahati administration, in a statement, clarified that the fee structure was revised after a gap of seven years, with the hike amounting to ₹8,900 per semester for continuing students.following the announcement, a group of pg and phd students had requested an open-house meeting, which was held for four hours on july 17. “detailed clarifications were provided on the revised components,” the institute said.it further noted that loans through the students' welfare fund are available to support financially needy students. “at the conclusion of the meeting, students were asked to submit a formal representation if they had further concerns. none was received,” it added.the administration claimed that the protest was launched “suddenly” on july 22 by a small group without prior notice or communication, bypassing the elected student body.citing the elected student representatives, the institute said, “the majority of the 8,400-strong student body is not part of the protest. the elected body was working on a formal proposal, but this small group disobeyed student representatives, undermining the reconciliation process.”the fee hike, it said, would support enhanced student welfare, increased allocations for hostel events, cultural and sports festivals, and gymkhana-led activities beyond inter-iit participation.