On April 10, around 400 students protested against the fee hike (file photo)
Students allege that IIT Delhi has increased the mess fees from Rs 25,000 per semester to Rs 40,000.
After several protests by students, the Indian Institute of technology (IIT), Delhi has decided to roll back the proposed increase in hotel mess charges. On Monday, April 10, around 400 students staged a protest against the fee hike. Students allege that IIT Delhi has increased the mess fees from Rs 25,000 per semester to Rs 40,000. As per a Times Now report, the IIT Delhi administration met the aggrieved students and decided to form a joint committee of representatives to resolve the matter.
“In the meeting, it was decided to form a joint committee of the concerned students and representatives of the administration. This joint committee will work on finding ways to reduce the mess charges,” said officials.
This committee will also do a comparative study of mess fees in other metro cities. “It is important to note that the messes in various hostels in IIT Delhi are run by the students through their elected representatives who have transparent access to the mess accounts,” officials said.
Earlier, students of IIT Delhi had claimed that the Board of Hotel Management (BHM), which manages the hostels, was paying the salaries of all mess staff despite it not being a part of the university. Students pointed out that IIT-Delhi used to give 90 per cent subsidy to BHM, but it was later reduced to zero after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) “strongly advised non-payment of salaries to mess staff” . Not a part of IIT-Delhi.”
Amid protests, IIT Delhi decided to cap the mess fee at Rs 35,000 per semester. The students had alleged that the mess fee had doubled from Rs 20,000 per semester (five months) in 2021 to Rs 38,500 in December last year. Till June last year, the fee was Rs 25,000 per semester.
The protesting students had also demanded an alternative to BHM to avoid any fee hike in future.
As per media reports, the deadline to pay the mess fee has also been extended till April 30. Further, those in default of payment will be allowed to participate in the college elections. Earlier, any student who wanted to file nomination and participate in IIT Delhi elections had to clear all before starting the process.
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