Padur: Students of the Hindustan University in Padur, Kancheepuram district, ransacked their campus on Monday alleging that the management is collecting exorbitant fees on various counts, including registration fees for exams.
Traffic on Rajiv Gandhi Salai was consequently disrupted for almost two hours as hundreds of students gathered to stage the protest against the university allegedly taking a ‘U’ turn on its earlier promise of waiving the fee for internal assessment improvement. After a confrontation between the security staff and the students broke out, the students resorted to pelting stones at glass buildings.
The university declared a holiday. Cops who got wind of the incident rushed to the campus around noon and their presence discouraged students from damaging the properties any further.
Hundreds of students gathered to stage a protest on Monday on the campus after the university allegedly took a ‘U’ turn on its earlier promise of waiving the fee for internal assessment improvement. As the confrontation between the security staff and the students broke out, the students started pelting stones at glass panes.
After two hours, many buildings inside the campus were reduced to skeletal structures. Students told DC they were forced to protest as the management was collecting exorbitant sums as fee and fines. For internal assessment improvement exam, students were forced to pay Rs 8,000 and for those with less than 75 per cent of attendance, the fine amount is Rs 25,000. “If we don’t pay the fines and clear internal assessment, we were not permitted to write the exams. When we protested last week, the management announced that the registration fee will be returned and students will be allowed to write the improvement exam without any fees. But three days ago, the management took a ‘U’ turn and issued a circular saying they reduced the fees from Rs 8,000 to Rs 5,000,” students said.
Some students alleged those attending NCC camps on behalf of the college were also asked to pay for the internal exam improvement. “If we have to write five subjects, the total amount goes up to Rs 40,000. Apart from that, we have to pay an annual fee of Rs 1,50,000 to Rs 1,60,000,” they said.
There are other fees like green campus fee and book fee which are very high. Since it is a deemed university, students have no other forum to complain against the management, they said.
Hindustan University Registrar Pon. Ramalingam in a statement said, “A group of students boycotted classes demanding waiver of the registration fee for internal assessment improvement and to extend the last date for payment of tuition fee. The management favorably considered the demands of the students and a circular has been issued resolving the concern raised by the students.”
