Tension gripped the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT) campus at RK Valley in Idupulapaya on Tuesday, May 6, as final-year engineering students staged a protest demanding the immediate release of their certificates.
The students, who recently completed their second semester exams, expressed deep concern after campus officials informed them they must vacate the premises within four days and would only receive their certificates after clearing all pending fees, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
Many students had already secured job offers through campus interviews and urgently need their certificates to proceed with employment formalities.
According to the students, the fee structure set by the previous government required PUC (Pre-University Course) students to pay Rs 36,000 per year (Rs 72,000 for two years) and engineering students Rs 40,000 per year, amounting to Rs 1.2 lakh over four years.
Until 2022, the government reimbursed the fees directly to parents' bank accounts. However, due to various administrative issues, the reimbursement has been irregular since then.
After the formation of the new alliance government, officials had assured students that pending reimbursements would be paid directly to the college. Despite this promise, the dues remain unsettled, and the IIIT administration is now demanding full payment from students before issuing any academic credentials.
Frustrated students questioned how they were expected to arrange lakhs of rupees at such short notice, especially since most of them come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. They said they had even emailed higher Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) authorities seeking a breakdown of pending dues but received no response.
Administrative Officer Dr Ravikumar met with the protesting students and informed them that the Director was on leave. He advised them to meet the Director on Wednesday to resolve the issue.
The students appealed to the state's Higher Education Department to intervene immediately and ensure that certificates are released without burdening poor students with sudden financial demands.
