New Delhi: In the last few months, educational institutions across India have seen protests and resistance against unaffordable fee structures and the imposition of fee hikes. After Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Film and Television Institute of India, students of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), affiliated to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, went on an indefinite hunger strike against the varsity’s unaffordable fees.
The hunger strike was called off on Friday, after the administration agreed to certain demands. The administration has reportedly agreed to share details of the committee that will decide the new fee structure and also said students’ participation in the panel will be ensured.
Recently, IIMC increased the tuition fees for the PG Diploma Course in Journalism (English/Hindi) from Rs 79,000 to Rs 95,000. Moreover, fees for the PG Diploma Course in Radio and TV has moved from Rs 1.45 lakh to Rs 1, 68 lakh, and that of PG Diploma in Advertising and PR have gone up from Rs 1.12 lakh to Rs 1.31 lakh.
In addition to the tuition fees, students also have to bear hostel fees and other living expenses. The hostel fee is currently Rs 1,750 per month for boys for a three-seater room, and Rs 3,500 per month for girls for a single-seater room. The existing structure has made it difficult for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to study at the university. Not only this, unaffordable fee has led to the further marginalisation of students from SC and ST communities.
According to Hrishikesh, a student of Radio and TV Journalism, “They (the administration) say that journalism is a professional course. They present it as if it is a glamorous course. They ask us, ‘If you didn’t pay expensive fees for journalism, then what did you even do?’ But one of the largest sections of the population is missing out on this education. We are demanding that an affordable fee structure is put in place so that people from villages and far off places can also come and study here. You will be shocked to know that 28 seats from the SC and ST community are vacant.”
“If a Dalit or Adivasi’s child cannot gain access to education, only the elite will rule the country. Four percent of the people have usurped the country,” a student protestor said.
Mobilisation by the students
The students’ struggle at IIMC began on December 3. On this day, the administration released a circular announcing that students must deposit the hiked fee for the second semester. Refusing to comply with the admin’s demands, students organised a sit-in where some of them went on a hunger strike, demanding that the fee hike be rolled back, and the existing unaffordable fee structure be revised.
On December 17, the administration gave a “positive response” to the students, and issued a notice stating that a meeting of the Executive Council will be held on January 2, 2020 to review the demands of the students for making the course fees “payable”.
Further, the notice that set the deadline for paying the hiked fee was put on hold. The administration assured the students that until a revised fee structure was put in place, the students will not be required to pay the fees for the second semester.
Following this, the students immediately withdrew the strike. On January 13, the administration issued a notice explaining the Executive Council (EC) meeting. The notice agreed to granting freeships on the basis of merit to students from economically disadvantaged groups falling within the income ceiling of Rs 8 lakh per year.
Further, the notice stated that the institute had observed a fee hike of 10% every year since 2009-10, and the current fee structure reflected the consistent hikes. The EC directed the director of IIMC to set up a committee involving officers, faculty and outside experts to “examine the matter of course, fee structure, freeship, hostel rent, mess charges, etc. in detail” and submit a report by March 2, 2020.
With the strike withdrawn, the students continued to sustain the conversation around affordable education by holding informal conversations. On February 9, the day an alumni meeting was scheduled at IIMC, the students decided to organise a talk around affordable education, and further involve the alumni of the school. However, after being consistently denied permission for the talk, the students organising the event were suspended.
Also read: Alumni Stand With IIMC Students Protesting Fee Hike
The students expressed concern over how the university was trying to violate their right to speak freely and voice their opinions. They have been questioning the administration about the grounds of their suspension and have received no response on the same. February 20 was the last day of their suspension.
Two days after the suspension, on February 12, 2020, the administration released a new notice asking students to pay the fee for the second semester by March 2, 2020. The students believe this was a violation of the administration’s own order, which told the students that they will not have to pay the fee till a new fee structure was put in place. Consequently, on February 17, 2020, the students wrote a letter to the administration informing them of a hunger strike starting February 18 till their demands were met.
The demands
The hunger strike had three demands:
- The circular issued on February 12, 2020 which asked the students to submit the fee by March 2, 2020 must be quashed.
- The suspension of the students must be revoked.
- The committee formed on the direction of the EC meeting must submit a report so that a revised fee structure is put in place.
Also read: In Panjab University, Students Are Struggling Against a Stolen Future
Although the EC directed the administration to put a committee in place, the students believe that no action was taken. Hamid Raza, a student of Urdu journalism, told The Wire, “On January 2, the meeting of the Executive Council took place. They reviewed the fee and said they will form a committee. They said that the committee will give you a new fee structure that will be applicable. But no committee was formed till date. They have wasted 40 days. They think since it is a nine-month course, the students will give up and leave. Only after we wrote to them on February 17, 2020 and gave them an ultimatum that we will be going on strike was the committee formed, backdated. This is obvious and is hidden from no one.”
The negotiations
In a notice dated February 19, 2020, IIMC’s administration asked the students to withdraw their hunger strike stating that the matter is still under consideration. However, one of the students said, “The administration just keeps putting forth their own points. But they are not ready to listen to the students. They don’t want that the points raised by the students should spread further, and more people must mobilise. They are only trying to distract the students when our only demand is that the fee must go down.”
Another student told The Wire, “They (the administration) called an open house on Thursday. They wanted to brief the students in the open house. We thought that when we will go there, opinions will be voiced from both sides, and the students will be able to decide who is right and who is wrong. However, at the open house the administration put forth their own one-sided view. They addressed the students for one hour. They also lied. And the students weren’t even heard. After being fed lies for one hour, we weren’t even heard for one minute.
The administration has reportedly been trying to make life difficult for students by constantly asking them to shift places and move from wherever they decide to sit. The students started their protests by sitting in front of the administration office, and were later moved to the cricket field, near a dustbin, well hidden from the view of the public crossing the college gate.
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Only after the students raised their voice about how they might fall sick due to the unhygienic conditions of the surroundings were they allowed to leave the spot. The students now sit right across the college gate, in the public eye, hoping that the gates of IIMC will open to all those who may need it.
Moreover, with the last month of college heavy with talks of placement, the students are concerned that the strike will affect their chances of employment – one of the primary reasons that students take admission into professional courses. They are worried that the IIMC’s reach will affect their future prospects. Already, the administration is making it difficult for them to voice their opinions by preventing them from speaking with journalists.
Now, with the administration saying it will take the students’ demands on board and the hunger strike called, it remains to be seen if IIMC will really become affordable for all.