SPPU students suspend mess fee protest after V-C assurance; decision on hike on Sept 26

Studentsprotesting a mess fee hike at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) temporarily suspended their four-day sit-in on Thursday (September 24, 2026) after Vice-Chancellor Suresh Gosavi gave a written assurance to a Students’ Federation of India (SFI) delegation that the issue would be taken up at the university’s Management Council meeting on September 26.

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

SFI said Mr. Gosavi assured the delegation in writing that the circular announcing the mess fee hike would be placed before the Management Council for cancellation at its meeting on Saturday (September 26).

The Management Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on September 26. According to SFI, the Vice-Chancellor told the delegation that a decision on withdrawing the hike would be communicated to the students in writing by 4 p.m.

Following the assurance, SFI said it had agreed to temporarily suspend the sit-in at the Vice-Chancellor’s request. The organisation, however, said its next course of action would depend on the outcome of Saturday’s meeting (September 24).

Students have planned a “thali march” at 4 p.m. on September 26 from the university’s main gate if the circular increasing mess charges are not withdrawn.

“If the circular withdrawing the fee hike is not issued on September 26, the thali march planned for 4 p.m. will go ahead,” SFI said in a statement.

However, if the university issues a written circular withdrawing the hike, the organisation said the proposed march would instead be replaced by a gathering to mark what it described as the success of the students’ agitation.

SFI has called on students to assemble at the university’s main gate at 4 p.m. on September 26, irrespective of the outcome of the Management Council meeting.

The students have been staging an indefinite sit-in on the SPPU campus for the past four days against the increase in mess charges. The protest was suspended following Thursday’s written assurance, but SFI said the agitation could resume if the university does not formally withdraw the hike.