SPPU students suspend riot charge protest after VC’s assurance; increase decision on September 26

Savitribai Phule Pune University. File | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Students protesting the hike in mess fee at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on Thursday (24 September 2026) temporarily called off their four-day session after Vice-Chancellor Suresh Gosavi assured a delegation of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) in writing that the issue would be taken up by the University’s Board of Management on 2 September.

According to the SFI, the assurance came after its delegation held a third round of talks with the vice-chancellor on Thursday (September 24), the fourth day of an indefinite protest against the fee hike.

The SFI said that Mr. Gosavi had assured the delegation in writing that the circular announcing the hike in meal charge would be placed before the board for cancellation at its meeting on Saturday (September 26).

A board meeting is scheduled for September 26 at 3:00 p.m. According to SFÚ, the vice-chancellor told the delegation that the decision to cancel the tour would be communicated to the students in writing by 4:00 p.m.

After being assured by the SFI, he said that he had agreed to a temporary suspension of the proceedings at the request of the Vice-Chancellor. However, the organization said that its next course of action will depend on the outcome of the meeting on Saturday (September 24).

The students have planned a ‘thali march’ on September 26 at 4 pm from the university’s main gate if the circular rising mess charges are not lifted.

“Unless a circular is issued on September 26 revoking the fee hike, the thali march scheduled for 4 pm will continue,” the SFI said in a statement.

But if the university issues a written circular withdrawing the hike, the organization said the proposed march would instead be replaced by a rally to mark what it described as the success of the student agitation.

SFÚ has called on students to gather at the university’s main gate on September 26 at 4 p.m., regardless of the outcome of the board meeting.

Students have been staging an indefinite sit-in at the SPPU campus for the past four days against the increase in disorderly charges. The protest was suspended after a written assurance on Thursday, but the SFI said the agitation could resume unless the university formally appealed.

Published – 26 Sep 2026 04:19 IST