Students at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) organised a protest inside the administration building on Monday, November 18, against allegations of moral policing and invasion of privacy by university officials. The protest was organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI).
The protest followed an incident earlier in the day when five students were fined arbitrarily by a flying squad led by the chief warden, according to a report by Siasat.com.
In the early hours, the flying squad, accompanied by security personnel, conducted a raid on Men’s Hostel F. Students allege that the squad forcefully entered students' rooms and filmed the residents without their consent, sparking outrage among the student body.
Students also raised concerns about the mistreatment of female students during the raid.
Female students who entered the hostel building were allegedly subjected to inappropriate behaviour by the squad members, with no female officials present to oversee the operation.
The university’s actions have been widely condemned as moral policing.
During the raid, several personal items, including kettles and induction cookers, were confiscated, and hefty fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 were imposed on five students.
Students also pointed out that the hostel rulebook, under which these actions were justified, had been rejected by the university’s general body meeting in 2019, raising questions about the legality and legitimacy of such raids.
SFI member Asika, speaking to Siasat.com, said, "The flying squad was moral policing students instead of its so-called function to evict unauthorised residents from hostels. Look at the way these people videographed our students without their consent. I am telling you, the rulebook they are referring to was rejected long back in the university general body meeting."
In response to the growing unrest, a group of students led by the SFI gathered inside the administration building to voice their concerns.
University Registrar Devesh Nigam met with the protesters and assured them that their grievances would be addressed.
