Over-a-fortnight-long protests by students at the University of Allahabad over a sharp fee hike have reached a tipping point with some attempting suicide as the central institution’s authorities have not spoken to them and have adopted a stern approach that has led to the arrest of students.

The vice-chancellor said the university had no option but to increase fees as “we need to run the institution”.

The Narendra Modi government has been pushing centres of higher education to raise funds from their own resources, resulting in fee hikes that have triggered protests including at multiple IITs.

On Monday and Tuesday at the University of Allahabad, one student tried to consume poison, another tried to jump off the terrace of the administrative building while two others attempted to immolate themselves on the campus. They were stopped by fellow protesters. Over 2,000 students blocked all roads to the campus and raised the slogan “Mangalwar, Aar-Paar (Final battle on Tuesday)”.

A policeman sprays water on a student who allegedly tried to self-immolate during the protest on Tuesday PTI photo

The students said they had been on a dharna, with many of them on a hunger strike, for 15 days and were forced to intensify their protest on Tuesday out of “frustration” as none from the university administration had spoken to them over their demand for a fee-hike rollback.

A student identified as Anand Bhadauria poured petrol on himself and tried to set himself on fire on Monday but his friends saved him before he could light a matchstick. Bhadauria, a student of post-graduation, told reporters: “Police were harassing my parents, brothers and sisters because I was among the protesters.” He was arrested on Monday afternoon from the campus.

The university administration issued a notice on August 31 announcing fee hikes across streams. The BA and BCom fees were raised from Rs 975 per semester to Rs 3,701 and Rs 3,901, respectively. The BSc fee was increased from Rs 1,125 to Rs 4,151 per semester. The MA and MSc fees per semester were hiked from Rs 1,375 and Rs 1,961 to Rs 4,651 and Rs 6,001.

Students began a fast in protest on September 5, demanding that the university management withdraw the fee-revision order. Over a dozen students were admitted to hospital between September 8 and 14. On September 15, the condition of one fasting student deteriorated.

“When we tried to take him to hospital, the university administration locked the gates from inside. We kept asking for the keys for about two hours and then broke open the gate to take the student to the district government hospital. The university administration lodged an FIR against 20 of us the same evening, accusing us of disturbing law and order and damaging varsity properties. Two days ago, over 25 students were arrested by the police on the basis of the complaint from the university authorities,” said Rakesh Singh, an undergraduate student.

On September 16, the protesting students formed the Sanyukt Kshatra Sangharsh Samiti to take the movement forward and ensure that they were not dragged into any kind of party politics.

Sangeeta Srivastava, the vice-chancellor, said on Tuesday: “The fee hike is applicable only to new students, who will join in the next session (2022-23). It will not affect the present students. It is not my personal decision. We need money to run the university.”

Another senior official said on the condition of anonymity that the university had not been receiving funds from the central government.

Rakesh, the undergrad, said the protesting students knew the fee hike did not apply to them but they were “not fighting for ourselves”.

“Rural students from eastern and central Uttar Pradesh come to the University of Allahabad for higher education. This means our own brothers and sisters wouldn’t be able to study further after school if we let this mindless fee hike to be implemented. The government can reduce the fees by 50 per cent,” he said.

Ram Mohan Rai, the station house officer of Colonelganj police station, said: “We have booked around 40 identified and 200 unidentified students in the past few days. The majority of those who were arrested have been released from the police station on personal bonds. There are some students in jail on the minor charge of taking law and order into their own hands.”