LU Students Protest Nearly Fourfold Hostel Fee Hike at Ranveer Singh Bisht Hostel
Lucknow University students on Tuesday blocked access outside Maitri Bhawan to protest a sharp rise in hostel fees at Ranveer Singh Bisht Hostel. According to students, the annual charge has jumped from Rs 7,000 to Rs 25,000, with an additional Rs 2,000 caution deposit, which they describe as a nearly fourfold hike.
The protest reflects growing campus anxiety over living costs even as the university frames the revision as payment for renovated, premium facilities. Reports said Dean of Students’ Welfare Amita Kannaujiya met the protesters outside Maitri Bhawan.
What the university says
Chief provost Aashees Awasthi defended the increase, saying the hostel had been renovated after two years. He said students would get upgraded facilities such as washing machines, new water coolers, and new beds, tables and chairs, describing it as a premium hostel.
What students dispute
Student leader Shubham Kharwar rejected the five-star framing. He said rooms still show leakages, peeled paint and old furniture, that water coolers were missing, and that the hostel was inaugurated before work was finished.
DSW Amita Kannaujiya reportedly told protesters the university does not have enough funds for their demands and asked them to seek support from the government. The standoff leaves a familiar Lucknow campus question open: who pays for upgrades, and what counts as upgrade on the ground.
Reporting based on The Times of India coverage of the Tuesday protest.
