Students’ body holds protest, wants reopening of PU labs, hostels for scholars

Students affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday held a protest at Panjab University demanding reopening of the hostels, libraries

Students affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday held a protest at Panjab University demanding reopening of the hostels, libraries and labs for research scholars.

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The protesters assembled outside the vice-chancellor’s office and marched towards the administration block. They also demanded that the varsity should conduct the entrance exams instead of scrapping them. Panjab University has already decided to scrap its undergraduate and postgraduate entrance tests this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Diksha Bhanot, state president of the student body, who is a research scholar at the university, said, “The work of the research scholars is suffering for the last six months. Since many other institutions are opening up for research scholars, PU authorities should also allow its scholars to use the labs and libraries.”

Over the recent advisory of the Panjab University asking the final-semester students to vacate the hostels within three days after their last paper, the ABVP demanded that students should not be forced to vacate their accommodation.

Meanwhile, the Students For Society (SFS) also wrote to the PU administration, demanding that research scholars be allowed to avail HRA of lockdown period and no rent should be collected from them.

PU dean students welfare (DSW) SK Tomar said, “The issue of research scholars is being looked into by the university and decisions will be taken for the benefit of the students.”