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DU students threaten to obstruct admissions

By Staff Correspondent

DIBRUGARH, July 27 � The postgraduate students of the Dibrugarh University, who withdrew their hunger strike yesterday evening to hold parleys with the university administration over the alleged �arbitrary� hike in fees for various courses, have decided to resume their agitation after the authorities allegedly failed to respect their demands.

The students have threatened to stop the admission process to various departments of the university in support of their demand for a rollback of the hiked fees. Arindam Borgohain, the leader of the students spearheading the protest, said that they would continue with all forms of democratic protests to compel the authorities to roll back the hike. The students in support with members from various local organisations launched a 50-hour hunger strike yesterday in the campus of the administrative building but withdrew it later following invitation for talks with the administration. The students had earlier staged demonstrations on two occasions to protest against the steep hike of fees.

Although the university authorities justified the hike in fees, citing reasons that the university was facing financial difficulties due to enhancement in the salaries of the teachers, the proposed enhancement of salaries of the officers and employees of the University, increase in the prices of all commodities and services used in the university management, laboratories, etc., the students have argued that the excuse was not acceptable to them as 80 per cent of the students came from poor economic backgrounds.

It needs mention here that the fees structure of various courses under the Gauhati University is much less than that of the Dibrugarh University. The Dibrugarh University annually charges Rs 7,750 for admission to M Sc, whereas the Gauhati University charges only Rs 6,300 for a year. Similarly, the admission fee for MBA in the Dibrugarh University is Rs 32,150 while its only Rs 20,800 in the Gauhati University. The fee for the first semester of the 5-year LLB course in the Dibrugarh University is Rs 17,150 whereas the fee of the first semester in the Gauahti University is Rs 10,180. The fees of various other courses have also been increased in the Dibrugarh University.

The students' fraternity has called upon the university authorities to make higher education accessible to even poor students.

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