IIT Delhi: M.Tech students raise concern against fee hike, stage stir

New delhi: M.Tech students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have been protesting against the fee hike of 100 per cent since August 31. The institute has partially rolled back the hike but a few students told Millennium Post that they are not satisfied with the partial rollback, since they had already paid the increased fees of this semester and no refund has been announced for the same.

An email by the administration stated that M.Tech students will now have to pay around

Rs 40,000. "We will continue our protest from September 5, and until the fees will be fully rolled back, we will not end the protest. The total academic fee for M.Tech students for this semester has been hiked from Rs 24,650 to Rs 53,100. The tuition fee has been hiked by 150 per cent from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 for one semester.

Another M.Tech student at IIT-Delhi who wants to stay anonymous told said: "We are in stressed right now. The drastic rise in fees is not justified."

He added: "We come to IIT Delhi to pursue M.Tech and hope to be financially independent. But now we have to rely on our families. Now, the sudden increase in the fees is like putting burden on students as well as their families."

There are many students who are scholars and cannot not pursue the course because of the hike.

Another student said that their fees have been hiked but their stipends have not increased. "We have been receiving a stipend of

Rs 12,400. If the fees are hiked, we should at least be given scholarships, an increase in our stipend amount, or some incentives."