IIT Bombay offers minor reduction in fee, students to continue relay hunger strike

In a statement issued on Friday, IITB Students Against Fee Hike, the protesting students' collective, stated: “This decision is merely a correction of the wrongful and unnecessary double collection. But the reduction in SMA can in no way be considered as accomplishment of our objectives. Our resistance is for keeping public education institutions economically accessible to all.”

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Students at the premiere technology institute in Mumbai's Powai area are raising their voice against the exorbitant fee hike in Master’s and PhD courses (Express photo by Pallavi Smart)

After 15 days of protest against the fee hike at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, students got a minor relief as the administration reduced Rs 1,800 from the Semester Mess Advance (SMA) component of the fee structure. However, students plan to continue with relay hunger strike starting Saturday, demanding complete rollback of fee hike.

In a statement issued on Friday, IITB Students Against Fee Hike, the protesting students’ collective, stated: “This decision is merely a correction of the wrongful and unnecessary double collection. But the reduction in SMA can in no way be considered as accomplishment of our objectives. Our resistance is for keeping public education institutions economically accessible to all.”

A student explained, “The SMA component of the fee structure included the hostel amenities fee. However, as per the new fee structure, the hostel amenities fee was being charged under the semester fee but it was never removed from the SMA, making it double collection. We pointed out the error during the open house on July 26 following which the administration has rectified its mistake. Even as this reduces the overall fee amount, our protest does not end with it.”
Ten protesting students have been finalised who will be sitting for the relay hunger strike on Saturday and Sunday, five on each day. The future plan of action will be decided later as students hope to receive a positive response from the administration in two days.

Students at the premiere technology institute in Mumbai’s Powai area are raising their voice against the exorbitant fee hike in Master’s and PhD courses. As per the information provided by students, the fee structure for both is increased by 45 per cent, in the recently declared fee circular for the autumn semester. Students are complaining how the fee hike comes as a burden immediately after the pandemic.

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“The fee hike is imposed based on fee policy designed pre-pandemic, which is not justified,” said a student. Adding to this, another elaborated on how a 15 per cent fee hike was slated in the year 2020 but was deferred due to pandemic. “Along with approving a 15 per cent fee hike in 2020, the fee committee had also recommended that there can be a five per cent fee hike every year. As per this calculation, the fee hike should have been 25 per cent. However, the actual imposed fee hike is much more than that,” said a student.

The break-up fee structure for existing Master’s and PhD students shows significant increase under all the heads, except the tuition fees, taking the total fee structure from Rs 16,500 to Rs 23,950. For new admissions, however, there is a jump in cost of tuition fees too. For PhD, the tuition fee for new batches is Rs 5,000, which was Rs 2,500. Whereas for Master’s students, it has increased to Rs 25,000 from Rs 2,500.”

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More