The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), a student outfit, on February 21, held a rally to protest against what they called "hooliganism" of the administration of Delhi University's School of Open Learning (SOL). The KYS has claimed that a delegation of students was beaten up by the SOL administration on February 17 when they held a demonstration regarding issues affecting them, including non-commencement of in-person classes, late distribution of study materials and the mode of exams.
Holding banners and pamphlets reading 'we demand parity among education institutions' and 'we will not tolerate misconduct with SOL students', the protesters demanded that in-person classes resume immediately. They marched from SOL's North Campus building to the Vice-Chancellor's office. "Instead of addressing the issues, the SOL administration beat up a delegation of students who had gone to submit a memorandum. The students were confined, abused and beaten up at the behest of SOL officiating principal," the KYS alleged. Despite DU reopening on February 17, SOL has not started in-person classes, it added.
The student outfit also raised the issue of the mode of the upcoming examinations. "The students are anxious about the mode of examination for the fourth and sixth semesters as SOL is to conduct physical examinations in May. This is highly problematic as these batches of students would be attempting the examination in the physical mode for the first time without any grounding in this mode," the student body noted.
Meanwhile, the SOL officiating principal has filed a police complaint against KYS while the student outfit has also filed a counter-complaint with the police.
