NEW DELHI: The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) staged a protest on Monday against Gujarat University’s (GU) proposed fee hike for PhD and graduation courses in the 2025-26 academic year.
Students held placards in Gujarati, demanding a rollback of the hike. A video shared by NSUI on X showed police removing students from the protest site.
NSUI Protests Fee Hike at Gujarat University!
Gujarat University has increased fees for PhD and graduation courses for the 2025-26 session, putting a burden on students.
Under NSUI Gujarat’s leadership, students protested against this unjust hike, demanding an immediate… pic.twitter.com/NVWobZ8tSf
— NSUI (@nsui) March 3, 2025
Gujarat NSUI President Naresh Solanki asserted that protests would continue until the fee hike is withdrawn.
NSUI leader Vikram Gohil criticized GU’s decision to increase fees for self-financed courses, stating it disproportionately impacts students from middle- and lower-middle-class backgrounds, making education unaffordable for many.
“The fee hike of ₹3,600 to ₹4,500 per year will push students from rural areas and lower-income groups into a corner, making higher education accessible only to the financially privileged,” Gohil said.
He emphasized that as a state university, GU has a responsibility to ensure education remains affordable for all economic sections.
NSUI has given GU a two-day ultimatum to reverse the decision, warning of intensified protests, including a ‘gherao’ of the Vice-Chancellor if demands are not met.
Earlier, NSUI representatives met with the university registrar, submitted a memorandum, and threatened aggressive demonstrations on campus if the hike was not revoked.
This is not the first time NSUI has protested against fee hikes.
Last year, the student body staged demonstrations at 13 Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) campuses after the Gujarat government raised medical course fees by 67% to 88%.
Congress had then alleged that the hike placed parents under severe financial strain.
