Research Scholars Protest Massive Fee Increase

Since mid-2023, the University of Madras has been collecting a high fee for PhD thesis submission under an order that may not officially exist.

Research scholars are now required to pay ₹25,000 to submit their thesis. Earlier, the fee was only ₹100. This means the amount has increased 250 times. According to reports, the former Vice-Chancellor had described the fee hike as only a “proposal,” not a final approved decision.

However, there is no clear public record of the increase being officially approved. Important documents such as a Syndicate resolution, Senate approval, or an official circular are not available. Instead, scholars say the instruction is being given orally at the PhD section and is being followed as an administrative practice.

Many PhD students feel they have no choice but to pay the increased fee. They say they are unable to question the decision openly due to fear of delays or problems in their academic progress. The university is reportedly facing financial difficulties, and some believe the fee hike may be linked to this crisis.

For more than two years, students and researchers have been asking the university to provide written authorisation for the fee increase. Their demand is not about academic matters, but about transparency and proper documentation for such a large hike in fees.

So far, the main issue remains the absence of an official written order to justify the sharp rise in the thesis submission fee.