Protests erupted at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Sunday as hundreds of students gathered at the main campus gate, Bab-e-Syed, to oppose a recent hike in academic fees. The demonstration escalated into a tense standoff, culminating in a clash between students and the university’s proctorial team.
The protest, which included both male and female students from various departments, began around noon when demonstrators erected barricades to block access to the university’s main entrance. They demanded an immediate rollback of the revised fee structure, which they claim was imposed without prior consultation.
Tensions flared when proctorial staff arrived and attempted to disperse the students. A verbal confrontation quickly devolved into physical altercations. Amid the chaos, a female security guard sustained injuries and was admitted to JN Medical College. A student, Sana Mubeen, reportedly fainted during the scuffle and later alleged that proctorial staff had pushed and physically harmed students during the confrontation.
Despite repeated appeals from the proctorial team to call off the protest, students refused to vacate the gate, chanting slogans against the university administration, including “Go back, Proctor” and calling for the Vice-Chancellor to intervene.
The presence of police personnel near the site further heightened tensions, especially in the evening when the university administration prevented students from setting up tents at the protest location.
Speaking to the media, AMU Proctor Professor Mohammad Wasim Ali downplayed the scale of the hike, calling it a “minor increase” introduced after nearly 15 years. He also claimed that the protest had been infiltrated by individuals from outside the university, whose identities were being verified and shared with local authorities.
However, students strongly disagreed with the administration’s justification. They highlighted steep increases across several academic programs. For instance, the fee for the fourth semester of the BA program has risen from ₹8,000 to ₹12,000, while school fees for class 11 students have jumped from ₹8,750 to ₹12,200. Entry-level admission charges and tuition for multiple undergraduate and postgraduate courses including BA, B.Com, BBA, BSc, MA, M.Com, and MSc have also seen significant hikes.
Angered by what they described as a nearly 36% increase in fees, students vowed to continue their protest until the administration rolls back the revised structure.
