Yes

Right, not privilege

The JNU hostel fee hike is absolutely not justified because this act regards higher education as a privilege and not a right. Higher education should always be made affordable so that bright students can pursue them no matter which economic strata of society you come from. There can be nothing sadder than having to give up studies because you can’t afford the fees.

Utsa Maity,

Class X, CA Salt Lake School (English Medium), Calcutta

Equal opportunity

It’s very dejecting to see that the same people who support the viewpoint that affordable education is everyone’s fundamental right are mocking students fighting for their rights. JNU was established to encourage independent thinking and provide education to students from all strata of society. Everyone must have an equal opportunity to education. The question we have to answer is why these students are striving so hard to reinstate the earlier fees, even at the cost of sacrificing a year. The answer lies in another question — why is the government trying to earn from students?

Ayushi Sarangi,

Class XI, Kendriya Vidyalaya Meghahatuburu, Jharkhand

NO

Pay for quality

Government institutions boast quality infrastructure as well as faculty. With less than 10 per cent of Indians paying income tax, how can we expect the government to pay for higher education without a price hike every now and then?

Alok Priyadarshi,

Class IX, Delhi Public School, Ruby Park, Calcutta

Still less than IITs

The JNU hostel fee hike is justified. When the college and hostel fees in the IITs and most other premier higher education institutions are five to 20 times higher than that of JNU, it is unacceptable that the government subsidise hostel fees for JNU students as JNU provides best-in-class educational facilities.

Nilanjan Adhikary,

Class XII, Burdwan Town School, West Bengal

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