IIT Guwahati faces student protest over revised semester fees

A recent fee hike at IIT Guwahati has triggered protests from a small group of postgraduate and PhD students, who raised slogans outside the administrative block on July 22, demanding a rollback.

Footage of the demonstration has surfaced online, drawing wider public interest.

The protestors objected to a semester fee increase of ₹8,900 for continuing students, introduced after a seven-year gap.

They questioned the rationale behind the hike and called for greater transparency in how the revised fees were structured.

Responding to the concerns, the institute said the additional charges were introduced to expand student welfare initiatives.

“The fee revision came after a gap of seven years and amounts to an increase of ₹8,900 per semester for continuing students,” the administration said, adding that the funds would support hostel activities, cultural and sports festivals, and student-run initiatives beyond Inter-IIT events.

An open-house meeting between students and the administration was held on July 17. Lasting nearly four hours, the session focused on explaining the fee components and informing students about financial support options.

“NCERT has also conducted a pilot trial of a technology-based anti-piracy solution on one million copies of a grade 6 textbook. This tech-based solution has been developed and patented by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur,” said a spokesperson.

Despite the discussion, a second round of protests was held without prior communication with either the administration or the official student body.

According to the institute, the demonstration was limited in size and did not represent the majority of the campus community, which includes over 8,400 students.

The elected student representatives did not endorse the protest and clarified that they were already in dialogue with the administration to address the fee hike.

They expressed concern that unauthorized protests could harm efforts to resolve the matter through negotiation.

“The actions of the protesting students risk undermining efforts at a peaceful resolution,” the official student body said.

IIT Guwahati reiterated that it remains open to continued dialogue and encouraged students to raise issues through appropriate, structured channels.

Officials reaffirmed their focus on student welfare and emphasized the importance of formal communication in addressing grievances.