Clash between students and police at Punjabi University, protest against fee hike

August 19, 2026

Patiala: Student protests at Punjabi University over fee hikes and other demands turned tense on Wednesday night. Students, who have been protesting for the past seven days, attempted to stage a ‘Jago’ march against the Vice Chancellor (VC) on the university campus.

The university administration had not granted permission for the event. Police stopped the students as they proceeded, leading to a scuffle and scuffle between the two sides. A large number of police personnel were deployed on campus to control the situation.

Allegations of steep fee hikes

Students allege that fees for various courses and facilities at the university have been increased by **16% to 102%**. According to the students, college fees have been increased by approximately 102% and hostel fees by 42%.

Students are demanding a complete rollback of the fee hike. The university has proposed a fee reduction, but the protesting students are not satisfied.

Demand for Four New Hostels

Students have also demanded the construction of four new hostels at the university. Three of these hostels are to be built with the help of central government schemes and one with the help of the Punjab government.

Students say that construction work is stalling due to the Punjab government not releasing the necessary funds for the proposed hostels under central government schemes.

Demand for Waiver of 150 Crore Rupees Debt

Students have also demanded that the Punjab government waive the university’s debt of approximately 150 crore rupees. They say this will strengthen the university’s financial position and reduce the burden of fee hikes on students.

The situation on campus is currently calm after Wednesday night’s clashes. Students will meet at 3 pm today to decide on the future strategy of the protest.