ABVP protests against fee hike in three Himachal universities, seeks rollback

Dharamshala, August 5

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Wednesday intensified its protest against the fee hike in three universities of Himachal Pradesh, alleging that the increase was against students’ interests and would place an additional financial burden on economically weaker families.

ABVP workers staged a demonstration at Dharamshala College against the revised fee structure in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, and Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur. The protesters boycotted classes and raised slogans against the state government.

Addressing the gathering, Dharamshala College ABVP Unit President Keshav Masand said the government was claiming to work for students’ welfare while simultaneously increasing fees by 25 to 30 percent, making higher education more difficult for poor and middle-class families.

He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the fee hike and called for the restoration of student union elections, describing them as a democratic right of students. Masand also urged the government to improve basic infrastructure and provide essential facilities in colleges.

The student organization warned that if the fee hike is not rolled back at the earliest, it will intensify its agitation and launch a statewide protest in the coming days.