Patiala, August 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Joint Students Front on Tuesday staged a protest and gheraoed the office of Dean Academic Affairs at Punjabi University, Patiala, opposing the steep increase in hostel and departmental fees announced by the university for the academic session 2026-27.
The protest was organised by student organisations including Punjab Students Union (PSU), Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF) and Punjab Students Federation (PSF). The students raised demands related to fee hike, hostel facilities and other academic issues.
Addressing the protest, PSU leader Gurdas Singh alleged that the university had increased hostel fees by around 30 to 42 per cent, while departmental fees had been raised between 10 per cent and 657 per cent in various courses.
Citing examples, he said the fee for the Film Making department had reportedly been increased from ₹16,000 to ₹1.22 lakh, while MBA (International Business) fees were raised from ₹2.63 lakh to ₹2.90 lakh. He added that fees for MPT and B.Tech courses had also been increased.
The students argued that education should remain accessible to all and should not be treated as a commodity. They demanded withdrawal of the fee hike and urged the university administration to address students’ concerns.
SFI leader Ramandeep Singh said Punjabi University’s annual budget was around ₹732 crore, including ₹397 crore as government grant and nearly ₹240 crore collected through student fees. He claimed that the university was also carrying a debt of around ₹150 crore and paying nearly ₹14 crore annually as interest, despite assurances regarding loan waiver.
PSF leader Gagandeep Singh highlighted the shortage of hostel facilities, claiming that only around 30 per cent of female students get hostel accommodation, leaving many students dependent on expensive private paying guest facilities.
He said a 500-room girls’ hostel, approved after student protests in 2014 and later named Mata Tripta Hostel, had still not seen construction despite repeated budget allocations. He added that a ₹10 crore grant allocated for hostel facilities during the 2025-26 academic session had also not resulted in construction work.
AISF leader Rahul raised concerns over the condition of existing hostels, alleging that delayed maintenance had resulted in leaking roofs and deteriorating infrastructure. He said incidents of parts of hostel ceilings falling had also been reported. He further claimed that lifts in several multi-storey hostels, including Banda Singh Bahadur Hostel, Mai Bhago Hostel and Bebe Nanaki Hostel, had remained non-functional for years.
During the protest, officials from the Dean Student Welfare office held discussions with the protesting students. However, the student organisations said the administration failed to provide any concrete solution.
The Joint Students Front announced that it would intensify its agitation against the fee hike and other issues. The front also appealed to other student organisations on the university campus to join the movement.
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