PU student bodies protest hike in canteen rates, demand release of SC students’ degrees

While SFS members protested against the hike in mess and canteen rates, Ambedkar Students Association held a protest demanding the release of degrees of SC students

Panjab University (PU) student bodies on Monday held protests outside vice-chancellor (V-C) Raj Kumar’s office, raising multiple issues including hike in mess and canteen rates, release of degrees and hostel allocation for Scheduled Caste (SC) students among others.

Members of various student bodies, including SFS, Ambedkar Students Association and PSU-Lalkaar, protesting outside the vice-chancellor’s office at Panjab University on Monday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

While members of Student For Society (SFS) protested against the hike in mess and canteen rates, Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) held a protest demanding the release of degrees of SC students of Punjab covered under post-matric scholarship and allotment of hostels as per reservation policy.

SFS also demanded that the varsity should restore the online portal for hostel allocation and to ensure transparency in hostel allocation. The student body’s president Sandeep said authorities reasoned inflation for raising the canteen and mess rates, but PU being a public university, runs on money collected through taxes.

“It is the responsibility of government and university authorities to provide food at subsidised rates,” he added.

Speaking about hostel allotment, protesting students said the waiting list had not been cleared. The protest was also supported by ASA and Punjab Student Union (PSU-Lalkaar).

ASA members, meanwhile, blocked the back gate of the V-C office. An official statement issued by the student body read, l “University is withholding the degrees of SC students of Punjab because they are not receiving funds from the Government of Punjab. It is a matter between the state government and the university, and the students of the SC community should not suffer.”