AIDSO protests against Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University for increasing admission fees, seeks rollback

Published 28 July 2026 · education

The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) on Tuesday intensified its opposition to the recent increase in admission fees for undergraduate students of Vijayanagara Sri

The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) on Tuesday intensified its opposition to the recent increase in admission fees for undergraduate students of Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University (VSKU), staging a protest outside the university demanding an immediate rollback of the hike. The protesters alleged that the university had increased admission fees for second and third-year degree students for the 2026-27 academic year by ₹1,500 to ₹2,000 over the previous year’s fee structure, placing an additional financial burden on students from economically weaker backgrounds. Addressing the demonstration in front of the university, AIDSO district secretary Kambali Manjunath said thousands of students studying in colleges affiliated to the VSKU came from poor, middle-class, farming and working-class families. Many of them, he said, took up part-time jobs and often missed classes for weeks to earn money for their education. “Large parts of Ballari and Vijayanagara districts are facing drought-like conditions, pushing farming families into severe distress.

Burdening students with a steep fee hike under such circumstances is unjustified,” he said. According to the AIDSO, the fee payable to the university has increased from about ₹3,500 last year to ₹5,000 this year. The organisation claimed that students of SGRCM College, Ballari, would now have to pay around ₹6,000, including college fees, while students of the Government First Grade College, Kurugodu, would be required to pay nearly ₹8,000. In some government colleges, the increase was stated to be as high as ₹3,000. The organisation argued that the increase could force many students to discontinue higher education and said affordable education was a fundamental right that should not be compromised by financial constraints. The AIDSO members also submitted a memorandum to the principal of Sri Shankar Anand Singh College in Hosapete, urging the university to withdraw the fee hike. The memorandum demanded an immediate rollback of the enhanced fees, refund of the additional amount already collected from students and extension of the deadline for fee payment.

Responding to the protesters, Vice-Chancellor M. Muniraju reportedly said that the university had been compelled to revise the fee structure due to the absence of adequate government grants. While stating that a complete withdrawal of the hike would not be possible, he assured students that the increase would be reduced by 50% and that the last date for fee payment would be extended by one month. However, the students rejected the proposal, insisting that the entire fee hike be withdrawn. They said the next phase of the agitation would be decided after consultations with students across affiliated colleges. K. Srikanth, a student, said the increased fees would place an unbearable burden on poor families. “My younger sister had to discontinue her education because of our financial condition. If the university continues to raise fees, I too may not be able to continue my studies,” he said.