A group of female Presidency University students has been staging a sit-in demonstration and gherao of some university officials on campus for the past 48 hours, demanding the establishment of bus service between the girls' hostel and the varsity campus.
Female students are requesting the restoration of bus service for boarders, which was offered until 2019 but was halted because of the COVID-19 epidemic.
The stir took place on Friday evening, March 15, when the hostel's development officer, who was inside the dean's room and being gheraoed by the agitated students, complained of physical discomfort and was transported to the hospital, PTI reports.
The agitating students permitted him to leave for home "on humanitarian grounds", but the dean remained under gherao until the demands for the introduction of four buses were met, according to Anandarupa Dhar, President of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) - Presidency Unit.
The SFI is supporting the movement of the female boarders. Their demands include keeping the monthly transportation fee within Rs 500.
Dhar stated that while the students temporarily blocked the road near the university on March 15 at noon, they will organise another blockade on March 16 to stress their demand.
Approximately 50 boarders have been conducting a sit-in protest outside the office of the dean of hostels and development officer for more than 48 hours.
University authorities stated that the prior bus service was subsidised by the state transportation department and that the cash-strapped university authority could arrange for one bus.
The Presidency Hostel for Girls is situated in Salt Lake, while the varsity campus is on College Street in Kolkata’s northern area.
