Kerala Agricultural University scales down fee hike, sets ₹24,000 for UG courses

Thrissur: In response to widespread protests, the Kerala government has decided to roll back the steep fee hike for various courses at the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU).

The semester fee for undergraduate programmes, which had been raised to ₹48,000, has now been reduced to ₹24,000. Before the hike, the fee was ₹18,000. For postgraduate courses, the fee has been reduced from ₹49,500 to ₹29,000. The course fee was only ₹22,000 before the hike. The PhD fee, initially increased to ₹49,900, has been reduced to ₹30,000.

The decision was taken during an online meeting of the University Executive Committee held on Friday, following the directive of Agriculture Minister P Prasad. An official order announcing the revised fee structure is expected to be issued by Monday.

The minister noted that the university is currently facing a financial crisis, but added that the government is committed to ensuring that higher education remains accessible.

The university had issued an official notification on the fee hike in September this year. The issue gained widespread attention after Kozhikode native VS Arjun, a student of Vellayani Agriculture College, dropped out and shared an emotional video on social media. Following this, the SFI launched a protest at the university headquarters in Mannuthy on October 28, demanding that the authorities roll back the fee hike.

Minister's intervention
On Saturday, Agriculture Minister P Prasad held discussions with university authoritie and told the media that government has instructed the university to ensure that the fee revision does not burden students.

“The course fee structure will be reconsidered. The state government has given clear directions that any hike should not adversely affect students,” he said.

Prasad assured that no student would be forced to discontinue studies due to financial hardship and noted that fees could be reduced further once the government allocates additional funds to the university. He also said the university will explore options for scholarships to support students’ academic activities, reported PTI.

The minister referred to Arjun, a student from Kozhikode’s Thamarassery, who had recently dropped out, citing financial constraints after the hike.

“Directions have been given to readmit the student once he returns. The university will ensure that he can continue his studies,” Prasad said.

Students have alleged that the annual course fee for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes was tripled—from ₹24,000 to ₹72,000. University officials, acknowledging the protests, said the revision had been prompted by a severe financial crisis but confirmed that the issue will be re-evaluated in the upcoming executive committee meeting.