Ludhiana: Protesting PAU students flag campus safety, poor condition of hostels

As many as 350 students are participating in the protest led by the Punjab Agricultural University Students Association (PAUSA)

: The protest by students of Punjab Agricultural University outside Thapar Hall demanding action on a range of issues including, subpar facilities and food quality in hostels to administrative transparency and security concerns, entered its sixth day on Monday.

PAU student association members during a protest outside the vice chancellor’s office in Ludhiana on Monday. (Manish/HT)

As many as 350 students are participating in the protest led by the Punjab Agricultural University Students Association (PAUSA). The protesters outlined a list of 17 demands.

One of the demand of the protesters is regarding the alleged mishandling of physical abuse cases on campus. The students are demanding establishment of a committee or board that includes university officials, students and ministry of agriculture representatives.

The protesters are also seeking resolution on the annual increase in student fees. PAUSA is also advocating for scholarships for BSE (bachelor of science in engineering), MSE (master of science in engineering), and PhD students.

Students have voiced concerns about safety within the hostels, citing problems such as snake infestations due to inadequate maintenance. They insist the university to address issues like clean drinking water availability, cleanliness, and proper upkeep of hostel facilities.

The reduction in sportspersons’ diets is posing a problem for student athletes. They demand comprehensive diets for all sports participants. Additionally, students seek better sports facilities, maintenance of grounds, and provision of sports equipment without additional costs.

Students are also requesting transparent billing practices in mess. They suggest increasing the security of hostel gates and an improvement in road conditions within the campus. Students want hostel allotment to be streamlined during registration to ease the transition for freshers.

“It has been nearly one and a half months since the university first reported cases of physical abuse, yet no tangible progress has been made in addressing these incidents. We want a committee or board specifically for agriculture students, composed of student representatives, university officials, and representatives from the agriculture ministry.” said PAUSA president Anmoldeep Singh Brar.

Despite repeated attempts, the authorities could not be contacted.