DNLU hunger strike: Academic activities suspended indefinitely, students stay firm on demands

The administration has asked students to move their site of protest from the academic corridors to the library. However, the students have refused to do so
Pic: Edexlive
Pic: Edexlive

Academic activities have been suspended at the Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU), Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh after students went on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor Prof V Nagaraj over administrative irregularities. 

In a notice issued on August 26 by the Registrar of the university, students have also been requested to call off their strike. The notice goes on to instruct them to shift the premises of their strike from the corridors of the Academic Block to the library. 

"Today, they shifted our mattresses from the corridors we were protesting at to the library. However, the library can only hold about 50 students and is not sufficient for the 400 students participating in the strike. Therefore, we have decided that we will not vacate the corridor," a protesting student tells EdexLive on the condition of anonymity. 

The notice also states that the university's VC has responded to a majority of the demands of the students. However, the students on the other hand say that this is untrue. "They haven't refunded the hostel and mess fee collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there has been no action against the illegal appointments of the Deputy Registrar Jalaj Goantiya and the Registrar (in-charge) Prof Shailesh Nagappa Hadli either," students say. 

The crumbling infrastructure at the rented campus that is currently housing the students of the university, which was established in 2018, was also a cause of concern for the students. While a new campus was expected to be ready by 2021, the construction has been delayed due to several reasons. 

Letter from the VC
In a letter issued on August 20, the VC informed the students that the construction of the gym and sports facilities is underway but has been facing some delays due to rain. He also said renovation work will be undertaken at the current campus to mitigate the inconvenience that the students complained about. 

The notice issued by the Registrar on August 26 adds that other matters require the intervention of the university's Governing Body and a decision regarding these issues will be taken in the next meeting. 

The students, however, are dissatisfied with the university's response. "We have lost faith in the VC. We want his resignation. Although the arbitrary fines imposed by the administration were revoked on the eighth day of the protest, it is not enough. The institution has become corrupt under the current VC, and he has to go," said a protesting student. 

While the notice says that remedial classes will continue online, students suspect that the academic calendar will now be delayed. "Exams were scheduled to begin on December 17, however, a month has been lost to the protests, and now academic activities have been suspended. The university was mandated to conduct 66.6 classes for each batch. However, only 40-45 classes have been conducted so far," a student adds.

In fact, regular library services have also been suspended, and students will have to give a day's notice to borrow or return any books. While students have been restricted from entering the Academic Block, hostel and mess services will continue to be functional, the notice states. 

Petition in Madhya Pradesh High Court
Students had also filed a petition against the fee hike for remedial classes in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The fee for remedial classes to attempt the re-examination for the term-end exams that happened in June this year had been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 7,500 per subject. Students claimed that the varsity changed the rules relating to requisite attendance to write the exam at the last minute, requiring them to have 65% of minimum attendance even after submitting a medical certificate. The fee was then reduced to Rs 5,000 per subject after the petition was filed. The matter is now sub judice.

RGNUL extends support
The protesting students at DNLU have found support from the students of the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) in Patiala, Punjab. In a statement, the students of RGNUL said, "We find the lack of basic infrastructural facilities in a National Law University extremely concerning. Not only do the students of DNLU deserve a permanent campus with basic amenities conducive to their holistic development, they are also entitled to represent their interest without fear of intimidation from any party. We hold the arm-twisting and the outright sexist and high-handed approach adopted by the DNLU administration in response to the students' genuine concerns relating to their precious future highly condemnable." The students of RGNUL also called for the Madhya Pradesh government to release the allotted funds for the university.

It is to be recalled that in March 2019, RGNUL faced massive protests after the administration suspended six students for demanding better hostel and library access for female students. The administration agreed to the students' demands after deliberations between a committee constituted by the RGNUL Chancellor, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Krishna Murari and student representatives.

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