BENGALURU: Stepping up pressure on the Azim Premji University (APU) management, students have begun an indefinite hunger strike for imposing shuttle fees on a single batch of students. Students have been protesting for the last 10 days, asking that shuttle fees not be imposed on them. In 2022, students had protested, asking that a shuttle facility be implemented to allow students safe passage from the university’s hostels, which lie around 2 km away from the university.
“There had been several instances of sexual harassment that had occurred against the students while travelling to the university, which is why we had asked that the shuttle service be implemented. This was done last year, but in the current academic year, they introduced a shuttle fee,” a student, who wished to remain anonymous, told TNIE.
Currently, first and second-year UG students live on campus, while third-year students live in private housing. Postgraduate students live off campus, in university hostels. While second-year postgraduate students use the shuttle for free, the university imposed a fee for only current first-year postgraduate student of Rs 8,500 a semester. “The fee is also imposed on students who had a 100 per cent scholarship from the university. As the university is set to open a new hostel next year on campus, this is the only batch of students who are being asked to pay a total of Rs 17,000 extra this year,” they said.
The students have maintained that they will continue an indefinite hunger strike against the university. Currently, around 10 students are on hunger strike, with APU VC Indu Prasad stating that she would talk to the students on Thursday. However, despite multiple attempts to get in contact with APU management, including Registrar Manoj Puthiyarambath, the university has refused to comment. In the meantime, Umashankar Sharma, PRO for Azim Premji University, said the university has refrained from giving any comments regarding the issue.