Led by ABVP, students protest against Mangalore University hiking exam-related fees

Several students of Mangalore University led by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest at Mangalagangotri on Friday, against the university’s steep hike of examination-related fees.

They urged the university to roll back the fees hiked from even semester examinations conducted in June-July 2024 to odd semester examinations to be conducted in December 2024 and January 2025.

Some students even barged into the entrance of the administrative building and smashed the windowpanes shouting, “We want justice.”

Addressing the protesters, Ganesh Poojary, Mangaluru Divisional Convener of the ABVP, said the university hiked the exam-related fees from 50 to 60% and this was unacceptable. He said that the university has hiked the marks card fee from ₹230 to ₹500, an increase of 117%. But it is not issuing the hard copy of marks cards to any student as digital marks cards are generated from Unified University and College Management System (UUCMS) and are issued through digi-locker. But the digital marks cards have several mistakes. Marks and other details of many students are not being uploaded to the UUCMS.

The ABVP said that it is not proper on the part of the university to hike the fees, of both UG and PG programmes, at one go by calculating the prescribed (allowed) annual fee hike of previous six years. It is a huge burden on the students.

Responding to the demands of students, P. L. Dharma, Vice-Chancellor, said that the university had hiked the fees after a gap of six years. It had even reduced the fees during the pandemic to help students. He said the hike is much lower compared to the fee structure of other private educational institutes. It is lower than the uniform fee structure prescribed by the government to its universities.

He said that principals of some colleges are equally responsible for not uploading details of students to UUCMS portal, which has created some issues. The Joint Director of Collegiate Education has written to the colleges in these cases.

Mr. Poojary and Suvith Shetty, Mangaluru District Convener of the ABVP, said that students have been made scapegoats as some principals blame it on the university. Principals and the university have indulged in blamegames without addressing the real issues of students, they said.

The Vice-Chancellor said that mistakes in marks cards are due to issues associated with UUCMS. The same has been brought to the notice of the government.

As the meeting of the Syndicate, the highest decision-making body of the university, was under progress during the protest, two Syndicate members joined the Vice-Chancellor in listening to the grievances of students. The students withdrew their protest after Prof. Dharma assured them that their demands would be placed before the Syndicate and brought to the notice of the government.

Objection to damaging public property

Prof. Dharma took objection to the students smashing the window panes and damaging public property.

Dakshina Kannada president of the National Students’ Union of India Suhan Alva in a release alleged that the ABVP indulged in goondaism on campus. The police should take action against the persons responsible for damaging public property, he said.

Mr. Alva said that Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar knows about the marks cards issue and has assured to address it.

Published - November 16, 2024 12:12 am IST