Hyderabad: After five days of continued protests, parents of students from Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology (CBIT), Kokapet, also joined the stir, demanding withdrawal of the steep fee hike. The management has called for a meeting with parents on Sunday.
On Saturday evening, CBIT officials released a statement, saying that the enhanced fees will not be collected from students who are not in agreement and that no students will be pressurised to pay it. However, the students alleged that the circular also stated that the High Court’s final order will decide the issue and therefore it is aimed at buying time. Avinash Vemula, a B.Tech student, said, “Students have been divided into different categories.The circular does not clearly state if the fee hike has been cancelled.”
The circular by CBIT stated, “Students who are not in a position to pay the enhanced fees due to their economic status will have to submit their request for scholarships which will be made available with the HODs at the earliest.’’ The management issued a notice on December 5, stating that there will be an increase of Rs 86,000 in the fee which has to be paid by students as they had signed the affidavit at the time of admission. This led to protests following which around nine students were taken into custody by the Narsingi police.
