ABVP students storm Higher Education office, held

The Higher Education Vidya Mandali office in Hyderabad was stormed on Monday by volunteers of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad who were protesting against the high fees being collected by private engineering colleges in the State. The increase in fees is such that poor and middle class students are finding it difficult to pursue higher education. To protest against the fees hike, the ABVP students staged a sit-in at the Higher education main-gate. The student leaders first went into the office chambers inside the building and refused to leave till the police came and arrested them. The fee hike in engineering colleges is such that if a Backward Class student was admitted through counseling, s/he would have to pay Rs 95000 and the government would just give Rs 25000 as annual fees. Many of the weaker sections students have been severely affected by the fees hike.