Says will act to address student ‘behaviour’

-Reshma Ravishanker

Eleven days after students sat on a protest, Azim Premji University has said that students were aware about the shuttle fee at the time of admission and are refusing to pay it now. They have called student’s asking for a waiver of the fee an “entirely unreasonable demand.”

The spokesperson of the university said in a statement that all students, including the ones ‘protesting’, had been communicated about the fees and charges they will have to pay during their study period at the University, along with their admission offer letters in May-June 2022.

“Needless to say that this communication is prior to their joining the University, i.e., they decide to join the University with the full knowledge of the fees and charges that they will have to pay,” the spokesperson has said.

The varsity has also claimed that at the time of taking admission (July 2022) into the University all the students had agreed (signed-off) to paying all the fees and charges applicable to them, including the ‘shuttle’ charges of a total of Rs 8,500 for the semester of July-Dec 2022, and then another Rs 8,500 for the semester of Jan-May 2023.

The protesters, however, said that there was no mention of the shuttle fee at the time of admission and that the introduction of transport began after students complained of untoward incidents on the last mile to campus from the hostel which is located at a remote place.

The varsity has also condemned the behavior of students and measures would be taken against this.

“We are deeply disappointed with the inexplicable conduct of these students, including actions of some of them which are disruptive and intimidatory. The University will take appropriate actions to address such behavior,” the statement read.

As against the claims by protesters, APU has said that the shuttle charges have been waived off for students facing financial hardships.

“We are compelled to issue this statement, given the misinformation on some media platforms. We believe all internal matters need to be sorted out within the institution,” they concluded. 

Also read: Azim Premji University students resort to hunger strike