Rollback demand: Students’ Protection Forum protests JNTU-H fee hikes

Hyderabad: The Students’ Protection Forum has appealed to the Telangana State Higher Education Council and the government to immediately reduce the recently increased examination fees and withdraw all hikes imposed in the examination department of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTU-H).

The Forum submitted a petition to the Telangana State Chief Secretary and the Chairman of the Higher Education Council, urging them to reverse the decision to charge a processing fee of Rs 2,000 for grace marks, provisional certificates (PC), and consolidated marks memos (CMM).

Student leader Rahul Naik, speaking on the occasion, criticised the university’s approach, stating that the steep rise in fees is pushing poor and disadvantaged students away from higher education. He highlighted that the sudden increase in examination fees from Rs 765 to Rs 1,500 has become a heavy financial burden. Similarly, online service charges, which were Rs 500 earlier, have now been raised to Rs 1,500 a move he alleged was leading the university towards commercialisation.

Naik further condemned the hike in transcript fees from Rs 40 to Rs 60 and translation fees from Rs 60 to Rs 100, calling them unjustified. He pointed out that grace marks, which were previously processed free of charge under university rules, are now being levied at Rs 2,000, causing panic among students. The Forum demanded that the government roll back the examination fee to Rs 765, reduce online service charges to Rs 500, restore transcript fees to Rs 60, and withdraw the Rs 2,000processing fee for grace marks and certificates.

They warned that failure to act would lead to large-scale student agitations and legal action in the High Court.Students Durga Prasad, Aditya, Sujay, and others joined the protest, reinforcing the call for immediate intervention.