Home Minister A Namassivayam announced on Tuesday, October 14, that students of Pondicherry University have called off their agitations following a tripartite meeting involving university officials, government representatives, and student leaders. "An agreement had been reached on key issues," Namassivayam stated, signalling a resolution to the unrest that had gripped the university.

The breakthrough came after a high-level consultative meeting held at the Minister’s Legislative Assembly office on Tuesday evening. The meeting included key university figures such as Vice-Chancellor Prakash Babu, Dean of Students’ Welfare Venkat Rao, OSD Vamseedhar Reddy, senior police officials, and student representatives, fostering a collaborative approach to address the students' concerns, reported The New Indian Express.

The start of the protest

The unrest began on October 9 at the university’s Karaikal campus, when students laid siege to the Vice-Chancellor’s office, demanding action against a professor accused of sexual harassment. "At least 200 students gathered outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office at Pondicherry Central University on Thursday, October 9, demanding action against two professors accused of sexual harassment," sources reported. The students blocked the VC’s office, preventing him from leaving, which led to heightened tensions.

Escalation and police intervention

The protest escalated late into the night on October 9, prompting police intervention. A lathi-charge was used to disperse the crowd, resulting in the detention of 24 students, including six women. "Police later arrested 18 students and released them on bail," authorities confirmed. The student bodies had planned to escalate their protests further with a march to the Raj Nivas on October 16, which has now been called off following the agreement.