Bharathiar University's PhD scholars protest fee hike, lack of facilities

Coimbatore: A group of PhD scholars in Bharathiar University on Tuesday protested fee hikes and lack of essential facilities in varsity. They raised concerns over poor hostel hygiene, absence of stipends for research students and malfunctioning research equipment.

The protesters said 90% of them did not receive stipends. Though the university had increased fees, essential facilities had not improved, they said.

"We pay for electricity and water; yet basic amenities are lacking. The university administration claims to have spent ₹70 lakh on hostel maintenance, but the conditions remain poor," a protester said.

The research scholars highlighted issues in the science laboratories, stating that essential chemicals were not being provided. Without a vice-chancellor, funds could not be allocated for purchasing required chemicals, they said.

They pointed out that formal complaints had been submitted to the administration "continuously" for the last six months, but no action was taken.

Ajit Kumar Lal Mohan, a member of the vice-chancellor's committee, and other officials told the protesters that resolving the issues was beyond their immediate control.

The protesters raised concerns over the burden on students to fund basic lab upkeep. There had been no maintenance of computers and several expensive research instruments since their installation, they stated.

Around 70 research scholars participated in the daylong protest. The protesters said they would resume their demonstration on Wednesday morning.