‘Dear AUD, Why Should We Pay for Facilities We Aren’t Using?

Students of Delhi’s Ambedkar University Delhi are protesting over high fee charges levied amid a pandemic.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

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In a notification, our university – Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) – has asked us to pay the full fee for the current semester. The fee that has been demanded from us is the same as that of the last year and there is no change in the structure. This has come as a surprise to us as all our classes are now online.

It has been six months since classes on-campus have been suspended at all schools and colleges across the country. Other aspects of learning like workshops, practical, field trips, performance, guest lectures etc are suspended as well. In such a situation, when we aren’t using any facilities, why are we being asked to pay the full fee?

The fee structure issued by the university includes charges for on-campus facilities.

Charges for field trips, exhibitions, performances, workshops, guest lectures are built-in. 

We feel that the extra costs of all these facilities should be reduced and students should be asked to pay only on the basis of online classes only. There are several reasons why.

Financial Stress Amid Lockdown

In the times of lockdown, parents of several students lost their jobs which destroyed the financial stability of the families.

“My father was jobless for sometime in the lockdown. We managed with our savings but have exhausted those too. We took a loan from relatives. I want to appeal to the university that the fee payment date should be extended and concessions should be provided to the students.”

Amit Chauhan, Student, AUD

Apart from the concession, it is very important for ‘part-payment’ option to pay the fee.

Issues With Online Classes

Several students of our university are having problems in attending online classes. Students staying at remote locations of the country are unable to attend these classes because of lack of internet facility and electricity supply issues.

“We have problems in electricity services in our village. The place where I am staying, we don’t get electricity till 2 in the afternoon. There is also a big problem with the mobile network in my village.”

Bharti, Student, AUD 

‘Proposed’ Suspension Of Fee Waiver To SC/ST & PWD Students

Since 2016, students of SC/ST and PWD category get a full fee waiver at the time of admission. This policy has been very effective in increasing the enrolment of students of these categories and is at the same time inclusive to all.

In the first week of September, the student body got to know through a news report that this policy was under review and there were chances of its suspension. Students had staged a protest against this in front of the campus.

The university later communicated through the faculty association that there would be no change in the fee waiver policy of SC/ST and PWD category students for a period of one year. 

The policy will be under review for this academic year which would be reviewed by the committee of board of members.

Even though the university has agreed to roll back its proposal to suspend the SC/ST and PWD fee waiver for one year, we demand a complete suspension of such policy because we feel that this is against the ethos of the university. Simultaneously, we continue our protest against the fee demand for this semester.

“This doesn’t mean that we do not want to take classes. We also want to study. We do not want to waste the struggle made to get here. We also understand the importance of time and we want to study.”

Bharti, Student, AUD

(The Quint has reached out to the university and is in constant touch with the Assistant Registrar, Public Relations. The university’s response to The Quint’s queries is awaited. The story will be updated once received.)

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