BITS Pilani students protest nationwide in many cities across India

July 1, 2018.

Mumbai. Chennai. Bengaluru. Aurangabad. Hyderabad. Jaipur. Lucknow. Indore. Bhopal.

(BITS Student Body Press Release)

BITS Pilani students have been protesting against the unjust fee hike imposed on them from May 6, 2018. After two long months of continuous opposition against the university authorities, the students have decided to gather in various towns across the country to symbolize their disagreement with the administration. The protest is to start at Aditya Birla Group Headquarters, Worli on 1 July, 2018 at 11:00 am and supported by gatherings in many cities across India. With the discussions with directors and the vice-chancellor of the university proving disappointingly futile, the aim of Sunday’s protests is nothing but to get this united voice of the student body to the supreme administrator, i.e. Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the chancellor of the institute himself.

The authorities had agreed to an open discussion before the summer break came into effect, but the students received a fee notice during the vacations that authorized another hike in the already soaring fees of the college. Following this, the administration sent show cause notices to some of the students by labeling them as agitators and leaders. With no other means of communication with the authorities in effect and the administration resorting to one-sided emails, the students decided to take the next logical step and involve the next in command for finding the solution of the issue. The protests, that originated in Pilani, Rajasthan were put on a pause to give the authorities time to make the right decision, but they will be resumed today, starting in Worli, Mumbai, right outside Aditya Birla Group Headquarters at 11am in the morning. Following this, students in other cities will join in and show the united force of the BITSian crowd in the issue. There will be gatherings of involved students and alumni in cities of Chennai, Bangalore, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, and Bhopal at separate times during the day.

It must remain publicly evident that the aim of these protests is not to tarnish the image of the institute or cause a ruckus, as blamed by the administration. This un-pausing of the ongoing movement is to just get our voices heard to the topmost positions in the leadership, as the student body remains unsatisfied with the way the current team has dealt with this diplomatic and sensitive issue of an increasing fee hike.

The protest is done by a volunteered group of students from all three India campuses of BITS Pilani. It is supported by almost all students and many alumni of the institute.