IIT Guwahati Students Intensify Protests Over Steep Fee Hike

Research scholars and postgraduate students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati campus staged a protest on Tuesday against a sudden fee hike, a move announced by the administration this July.

 

A drastic increase in semester fee of the students of PhD, MTech, and BTech triggered the protest. This was the first hike in seven years. For PhD scholars, fees have increased by ₹10,900 per semester, rising from ₹34,800 in the January–May 2025 semester to ₹45,700 in the July–November semester. 

 

In addition, many new and augmented charges have also been introduced like the gymkhana fee has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 rupees, the medical fee is up by five-fold (100 to 500) startling increases in hostel rent and fund, and a new fest fee of 1,300 a semester is proposed. Part-time scholars are also the most affected and this is increasing by 7 times, taking it to 25,000 rupees per semester.

 

Student representatives said that the increase was abrupt and implemented without adequate consultation, placing a heavy financial burden on those with monthly fellowships of ₹37,000 to ₹42,000, which are insufficient to cover their academic expenses. Many claimed that the rise was without any visible changes in the campus infrastructure or amenities.

 

The administration however argues that the increase, 8900 a semester on continuing students, is needed to finance the welfare programs, hostel life, cultural and sports events and other activities of the students. 

 

IIT Guwahati also stated that this decision was made after a four-hour open-house meeting on July 17, 2025 with student representatives, promising to give financial help to needy students via Students Welfare Fund. Officials further noted that while formal complaints could be submitted, none were received after the meeting, according to the administration. 

 

But on July 22, which was the final day of semester registration, students who declined to pay the increased fee were denied registration and this forced many students to engage in mass protest actions such as boycotting academic activities and street demonstrations to demand that administrative decisions be reversed and that decision-making processes be displayed to them.

 

While the administration describes the protesters as a small group within the institute's population of over 8,400 students, the protesters argue that the fee structure remains unaffordable for many. They also claim that low participation from the wider student body is due to administrative pressure. With the standoff underway, everyone is waiting to see whether the management will listen to the calls of a rollback or additional consultations with the aggrieved scholars.