The Panjab University campus in Chandigarh witnessed several protests on Monday as students led demonstrations against several decisions of the administration. Students for Society (SFS) led the protests at the vice chancellor’s office demanding a complete rollback of the hikes in mess fees, canteen fees and student centre rates.
As per the a leading news daily, their demand also included the restoration of the online portal for the allocation of hostels with complete transparency. Before the demonstration, SFS carried out a signature campaign in hostels and departments.
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Many students were reported to have left classes to join the demonstration. SFS said that the administration’s argument that prices have been hiked due to inflation is a complete “sham”. Adding that varsity was public-funded, the student body demanded that the administration must ensure the availability of food at a subsidized rate instead of hiking prices for the common student.
SFS also complained of favouritism in the allotment of hostels. The university dean of student welfare (DSW) held a meeting with the protesting student but no resolution has been reached so far.
The students’ body said it will continue with its sit-in protest at the VC office. The protest has also received support from other students groups like Ambedkar Student Association (ASA) and PSU (Lalkaar).
ASA, meanwhile, also staged a protest with its demand for the release of degrees of SC students of Punjab, under Post-Matric Scholarship and allotment of hostels as per reservation policy.
The students body’ claims that reservation policies were not adhered to during the allotment of hostels and the varsity has not even acted to utilise special grants from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and AICTE for the construction of special hostels for SC/ST students.
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The varsity will soon be reaching out to the protesting members of the ASA
It was not just the students who protested at the campus on Monday. The cleaning staff of at least three hostels of Panjab University also protested at VC office with complaints of “cruelty” by the wardens. The employees alleged that they were forced to work at the warden’s home and were frequently marked absent even for being late by just 10 minutes.
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