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**Headline: Kuvempu University Hikes Fees, Sparking Student Outrage**

**Shivamogga, Karnataka -** Kuvempu University, a prominent affiliating university in Karnataka’s Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts, has announced a significant increase in fees for its postgraduate and Ph.D. courses, triggering widespread discontent among students. Some fees have reportedly doubled, raising concerns about accessibility and affordability.

The university’s newly released fee structure reveals substantial hikes across various programs. For instance, the annual fee for arts faculty students has risen from ₹9,009 to ₹12,613. Merit-cum-payment seats for students from other universities now cost ₹57,057 (previously ₹40,755) in the arts faculty and can go up to ₹80,080 in the science faculty.

Ph.D. programs have also seen steep increases. The application fee has doubled from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000. Other increased fees include the internet facility fee, the provisional registration fee, and the lab fee, which has significantly increased for both domestic and international students. Fees for thesis-related procedures, such as title changes and resubmissions, have also risen sharply.

“If the university is facing a financial crisis, it should not penalize students,” lamented one research scholar, requesting anonymity. “If the fee is increased so much, then the state university is also becoming another private university.”

University Registrar A.L. Manjunath defended the fee revision, citing the institution’s financial difficulties. The university’s 2025-26 budget, presented in March, revealed a shortfall of ₹37.26 crore. “The fee structure has been revised marginally. The fee for coursework had not been revised for seven years,” Manjunath explained. He added that the university had to mobilize resources internally due to a lack of government grants, and that the university needs to pay its guest faculty. He also stated that when compared to other universities, Kuvempu’s fees are less.

Despite the Registrar’s explanation, the fee hike continues to generate significant debate and calls for the university to explore alternative solutions to its financial challenges that do not disproportionately burden students.

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