CUK students hold protest against fee hike, poor infrastructure

Srinagar, July 2: Students of the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) on Tuesday staged a protest at the Tulmulla campus against the recent fee hike of several courses by the University administration and the “poor infrastructure” and inadequate facilities available at the varsity.

The students expressed their frustration over the University's decision to increase fees arbitrarily, creating financial burdens and breeding confusion due to inconsistent fee structures for the same courses.

“We are paying more than any other University in Kashmir. The others are paying half of what we pay. Our university suddenly increased the fees this time,” the protesting students said.

In addition to the financial strain, students voiced concern over the inadequate facilities  at the campus.

The protesting students said that the hostel accommodations are insufficient forcing many students to either rent rooms or travel from their homes on a daily basis.

There is also a persistent issue with the availability of clean drinking water on campus, posing serious health risks, the students said.

“Sanitation and maintenance of washroom facilities are substandard, contributing to the students’ grievances. The university library is understocked as it lacks essential resources which impedes academic pursuits of the students,” the protesting students said.

The protest led to the suspension of class work at the Tulmulla campus as students closed the campus gates demanding immediate attention from concerned authorities. The protesting students insisted that their primary catalyst for the demonstration was the substantial fee increase, which they argue is unjustified given the poor infrastructure and lack of basic amenities.

“We want the administration to address these issues urgently. The disparities in fee amounts for the same courses only add to our frustration,” the students said.

Vice chancellor CUK Prof. A Ravinder Nath, when contacted, said the students were not aware about the existing fees structure despite issuing a circular a long ago.

“We are introducing a credit based fee structure. Despite having 20 credits we will charge fees for only 12 credits. We have introduced fee waiver for students based on merit and needs,” VC CUK told Greater Kashmir.