The All India Students Association (AISA) has claimed that the Hindu College governing body has demanded an autonomous status. According to them, the meeting between UGC and Hindu College authorities took place on May 21 at an undisclosed location to finalise granting of an autonomous status. 

Following the information, AISA along with Hindu College students have been protesting outside the college gate against the scheduled UGC meeting. The students and AISA representatives feel betrayed as they were assured that Hindu College won't be asking for autonomous status.

"AISA along with Hindu College students had met Anju Shrivastava, Principal of Hindu College and she had assured that the college hadn't demanded autonomous status. Despite the assurance, the principal was more than eager to participate in the UGC meeting. There is something fishy," said Madhurima Kundu, Secretary, DU AISA, who was also critical of the fact that the principal did not meet the protesting students. 

AISA and student representatives of Hindu College, who were not even invited for the meeting, have drawn a pattern between the actions taken by the authorities. "The decision to grant autonomous status to Hindu College comes just a few days after the same was finalised for St Stephen's College. This is just the beginning. The government with the UGC will be attacking one institution after another and withdraw funds from it. We won't let it happen," Kundu seems determined.  

But what's the problem with autonomy?

According to student representatives, autonomous status is just a ploy to increase fees and scuttle reservations. The autonomous status would mean immediate fee hike, this could drastically increase expenditures for students who currently spend about Rs 15,000 a month. "The fee hike will push a lot of students to drop out which means that all the money that was spent in the past will also be a waste," explains Madhurima.

"It is no longer a struggle to save a few colleges, it is a struggle to save public higher education in India," she concludes.