JNUSU Expresses Solidarity with AMU Students Protesting 36–42% Fee Hike

AMU students protest 36–42% fee hike; JNUSU calls for student union revival, blames NEP and ‘privatisation agenda’

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has voiced strong support for Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students protesting a recent 36–42% hike in course fees. The move has ignited widespread student unrest amid concerns over democratic transparency and public education access.

Student Backlash Over Fee Hike at AMU

AMU students staged protests citing the sudden increase in fees for multiple courses, ranging from 36% to 42%, which they say severely impacts affordability—especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Protests reportedly turned tense at the prominent Bab-e-Syed Gate entrance, with demonstrators clashing with proctorial staff as they demanded a rollback and better dialogue with authorities.

In solidarity with AMU, JNUSU leadership drew parallels with its own past movements, highlighting JNU’s experience under the contentious VC Mamidala era—when NEP-aligned fee hikes and self-financing models were unsuccessfully resisted through student-led protests.

The JNUSU statement criticizes the New Education Policy (NEP) as instrumentalising neoliberal models and HEFA loans to shift the financial burden onto students. It accuses administrators of bypassing student voices entirely—reflecting a broader trend of centralised, non-academic leadership at premier universities.

Governance and Student Representation Concerns

JNUSU further flagged the absence of elected student unions in AMU since 2019, and alleged that retired bureaucrats and administrators—rather than academic leaders—have been placed in campus governance roles, suppressing student representation and dissent.

The latest fee hike protests, they argue, are symptomatic of building frustration over years of exclusion and lack of student engagement—not isolated to AMU but indicative of a national challenge in public higher education.

According to JNUSU, the protests at AMU are part of a wider pushback against the privatization of education, which they characterize as driven by a neoliberal Hindutva agenda. They demand revival of campus democracy across public universities, urging collective student action to protect access and equity in higher education.

A call to action was issued: “Rollback the Fee Hike! Restore the Student Union!”, symbolizing JNUSU’s solidarity and commitment to bridging resistance movements across institutions.