It was the sixth day of protests on Sunday, June 20, for students of Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), also known as IIIT Basara. They have been demanding proper infrastructure, amenities and adequate faculty even though it appeared that the government might announce holidays for the institution soon.
This was indicated as the administration at IIIT started issuing outpasses to several students, stating that the long-term exposure to the rains and sun during the past five days has taken a toll on their health.
When the news of outpasses spread, the Students Governing Council (SGC) announced that they will only intensify the agitation. And that from now on, protesters would be demonstrating round the clock from Sunday instead of 9 am to 9 pm as on Saturday.
The SGC also accused the administration of resorting to illegal measures, saying that as per IIIT norms, outpasses should be given to students only in the presence of parents or guardians.
After being handed the outpasses, some of the students have already left for their homes, according to sources.
It was back in 2018 that the government increased the seats from 1,000 to 1,500 but the infrastructure remains the same. Rooms which are meant for two are now crammed with four. There are not enough cots, bedrolls and even toilets, the protesters say.
About 3,000 students make their way to the mess in the morning as well as in the evening and those who are late are subjected to a long wait extending to two hours. Invariably, they end up missing classes, protestors share.
They also say that Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy had over the past 18 months visited the institution twice and made many assurances, but never bothered to verify if his assurances were ever implemented. The students are very clear that they do not trust the Minister and want assurance from either Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao or IT Minister KT Rama Rao.
Meanwhile, the police blocked ABVP student union leaders from entering the institution to express support to the protesters and shifted them to the Basara police station.
