On August 4, students at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) staged a strong protest against a recent fee hike. The demonstration turned tense when students blocked the main university gate, Bab-e-Syed, demanding that the administration roll back the increased fees. The protest, which involved both male and female students from various courses, escalated into a physical clash with the university’s proctorial team.
During the scuffle, a female security guard was injured and had to be admitted to JN Medical College. A student named Sana Mubeen fainted during the protest and later accused the proctorial staff of deliberately pushing and injuring students.
The protest began around noon when students blocked access to Bab-e-Syed by setting up barricades. Security officials alerted the proctor’s office, and shortly after, the proctorial team arrived at the scene. When the team asked the students to reopen the gate, a heated argument followed. The students refused to budge unless the fee hike was withdrawn. The situation quickly escalated, resulting in pushing and shoving between students and staff.
Despite multiple attempts by the proctor to convince the students to call off their protest, the students remained at the gate, shouting slogans against the university’s Vice-Chancellor and chanting “Go back, Proctor.”
Tensions rose further as students noticed police presence near the protest site. In the evening, when students attempted to set up a tent at the protest site, the university administration stopped them.
According to Proctor Professor Mohammad Wasim Ali, the fee hike was minor and implemented after many years. “This is a small increase after nearly 15 years. Unfortunately, some outsiders have joined the student protest. We are identifying them and sharing their details with the police,” he said.
Students, however, were angered by the nearly 36 percent rise in fees. For instance, students who previously paid ₹8,000 for the third semester of a BA course now have to pay ₹12,000 for the fourth semester. Similarly, the class 11 school fee rose from ₹8,750 to ₹12,200. Entry-level admission fees have also gone up by ₹750. Tuition fees for courses like BA, B.Com, BBA, BSc, MA, M.Com, MSc, and others have also seen sharp increases.
The students insisted they would continue protesting until the administration rolled back the fee hike.
