J&K Students Association writes to Education Minister, demands rollback of fee hike and restoration of Students’ Union

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association on Tuesday wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, seeking his urgent intervention in the ongoing protests at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) against what it termed the “arbitrary, unjustified, and exclusionary” fee hike of up to 36–42 percent and the absence of a Students’ Union since 2019.In its letter, the Association’s National Convenor, Nasir Khuehami, said AMU students have been protesting since August 4 against the steep hike, which has seen some course fees rise by 30–40 percent.

For example, the B.Lib course fee has gone up from ₹16,000 last year to over ₹22,000. Citing a video statement by AMU Proctor Wasim Ali, the letter noted the administration’s claim that fees had increased between ₹500 and ₹1,500 for different courses to improve infrastructure and that the decision was taken collectively by various committees.

However, the Association said this explanation “does not lessen the crushing burden” on students from socially backward classes, working-class families, and economically weaker sections, who are “already struggling to meet their daily expenses, including basic meals.”Calling the hike “sudden and steep” and implemented “without prior notice,” he warned it could push “thousands out of higher education” and alleged that students were also facing detentions, suspensions, and harassment. “AMU, long hailed for being affordable to those from marginalised backgrounds, is now being accused of abandoning that legacy,” it said.

The Association “strongly and unequivocally” condemned the alleged use of force by police against peaceful protesters on August 8, saying students, including those returning from Friday prayers, were “assaulted, lathi-charged, dragged on the ground, and manhandled.” It termed the eviction of students from the historic Bab-e-Syed Gate, described as a “symbolic space of student voice and democratic spirit” as “deeply regressive” and a violation of the constitutional right to peaceful protest.It said that the absence of a Students’ Union since 2019 has created a dangerous vacuum, depriving students of a legitimate and elected platform to voice their grievances and engage in constructive dialogue with the administration.

This lack of representation has emboldened the authorities to implement anti-student policies without transparency, accountability, or consultation. It added that, Students are raising their voices not only against the unjustified fee hike but also against detentions over attendance shortages, arbitrary suspensions for speaking up, and what they describe as the dictatorship of the Proctorial Office.Pointing to “dismal” hostel conditions such as severely overcrowded rooms, poor sanitation, and lack of hygiene, the Association alleged that the fee hike and poor living standards reflect “a broader agenda to privatise and commercialise education,” undermining AMU’s mission of providing affordable quality education to marginalised communities, “especially the Muslim minority.”Recalling the vision of AMU founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Khuehami described the university as “a beacon of hope” for lakhs of Muslim and underprivileged students nationwide.

“This vision is now under threat from a dangerous mix of administrative apathy, commercialisation, and what appears to be a creeping privatisation agenda,” the Association said, adding that the administration has “failed to maintain basic living standards in hostels” while imposing “massive fee hikes.”The Association asserted that at a time when inclusive and equitable education is crucial, such policies go against the Sachar Committee Report’s recommendations for greater state support, inclusion, and opportunity for Muslim youth in higher education, “not measures that further marginalise them.”National Spokesperson of the Association, Zubair Reshi, and State President for Uttar Pradesh, Irfan Bashir, in a joint statement, also urged the Union Education Minister to “immediately roll back the fee hike, restore the Students’ Union without delay, engage in open and transparent dialogue with the student body, and take urgent steps to improve hostel conditions.” They further sought protection of students’ democratic rights, an end to the “harassment and targeting” of protesters, and the withdrawal of all punitive actions against them.

“The students of AMU are protesting for their rights, their dignity, and the restoration of democracy on campus. Their struggle is not just a local fight; it is symbolic of the broader battle to protect the integrity of public education in India, ensure equitable access, and safeguard the culture of debate, dissent, and representation across all universities. An attack on AMU is an attack on the aspirations of marginalised communities across the country,” they added.