KYS protests fee hike and substandard study materials at Delhi University

The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), a student body representing working-class and marginalised sections, staged a demonstration outside the Delhi University vice-chancellor’s office to protest a fee hike in various courses on Saturday. They also accused the university of providing substandard study materials to students of the School of Open Learning (SOL).

Members of the KYS gathered outside Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh’s office during a DU Executive Council meeting, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the fee hike and a re-evaluation of the proposed study materials. The Executive Council, composed of faculty members and university officials, was meeting to discuss and pass policy proposals affecting students.

A report on the fee hike for undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs, approved by the vice-chancellor under emergency powers, was presented to the EC members. Additionally, a proposal to approve study materials for SOL students was also on the agenda.

Protesters raised slogans against the privatisation of education, arguing that higher education was becoming increasingly inaccessible for marginalised students. “Since the National Education Policy 2020, there has been a significant fee hike in public-funded higher-education institutions,” KYS stated.

They further criticised the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) for pushing self-financed courses over UGC grants, disregarding loan burdens and quality concerns. “Without considering the future of students, particularly those from marginalised sections, the DU administration has drastically increased the fees for various courses in recent years,” the statement added.

In December last year, the university increased fees for several courses. The proposal to approve the SOL study materials was previously rejected in an EC meeting, where a review team was tasked with correcting numerous factual and grammatical errors flagged by some members.

The KYS also called for an academic audit of SOL and an increase in the number of available seats for students.

With inputs from PTI.