Students of Rayalaseema University (RU) in Kurnool are looking for a silver lining amidst troublesome clouds. All India Student organisation (AISA) announced on May 31 that they will be holding a protest on June 1 at around 11 am at the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan to take action against the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Rayalaseema University Prof A Ananda Rao for detaining 153 students.
The national president of AISA, N Sai Balaji informed that the protest in which around 30 people participated was followed by a meeting with Secretary of UGC Prof Rajnish Jain who said, "he will escalate the issue with the concerned government authority."
Students studying MSc, who wish to stay anonymous, alleged that they missed their second semester exams due to lack of attendance due to COVID-19. "When we reached out to the VC concerning this, assurance was given that we will be given a chance to write the second semester along with the fourth," they stated.
Following this "assurance", students highlighted that "on April 21, a circular was issued stating students who couldn't finish their second semester are now detained from appearing for the third semester exams." Students lamented that they should be allowed to write the third semester as their two years will be wasted otherwise. They even alleged that a few students were permitted to write in exchange for some amount.
Refuting all the allegations made by the students, Prof Ananda Rao clarified that "no such assurances" were made as the UGC rules clearly state students who were detained in the second semester will not be promoted to the third semester. Ananda Rao elucidated that "out of the detained students from the second semester, 25 attended the third semester classes. Among 25, only 15 maintained their attendance while the rest didn't. So only these 15 were not allowed to write the exams as they were detained in the second semester."
Denying the corruption allegations, the professor said, "No such acts happened in the college. If so, the government will definitely suspend the concerned person."