ABVP stages protest at Modern College over scholarships, security & basic facilities

The ABVP said that a memorandum detailing the students’ grievances had been submitted to the college administration on January 12

Students affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Tuesday staged a protest at the entrance of Modern College, alleging delay in scholarship disbursal, poor security arrangements, and lack of basic facilities across the arts, commerce, science and BBA campuses.

The protest was called off after the ABVP representatives submitted a memorandum to officiating principal Shashikant Deshmukh, who assured them that the issues will be addressed in a time-bound manner. (HT)

The ABVP said that a memorandum detailing the students’ grievances had been submitted to the college administration on January 12. As no concrete action followed despite repeated reminders, students were forced to launch the protest, the organisation claimed.

The protest was called off after the ABVP representatives submitted a memorandum to officiating principal Shashikant Deshmukh, who assured them that the issues will be addressed in a time-bound manner.

ABVP leader, Radheya Bahegavankar, said that students are facing several problems, including delay in scholarships, non-functional CCTV cameras at entry points, inadequate security (especially for female students), neglect of sports infrastructure, non-functional placement cell, poor condition of computer laboratories, lack of drinking water facilities, weak mobile network coverage, unhygienic surroundings, absence of first-aid facility, and errors in marksheets affecting students’ academic records.

Students also raised concerns over the denial of hall tickets due to non-payment of fees, frequent cancellation of lectures without prior notice, alleged political use of official college platforms, and delay in resolving routine administrative issues.

At the BBA campus, students described the situation as more serious, citing the absence of a canteen for the past two years, lack of seating space, limited library access, poor condition of women’s washrooms, non-availability of sanitary napkins, fear due to the presence of bouncers on campus, irregular teaching practices and financial exploitation in the form of high examination fees.

Meanwhile, Modern College principal Nivedita Ekbote, who is currently on special leave after contesting the recent municipal elections, visited the protest site and interacted with the students. Speaking to Hindustan Times, she said most of the demands are basic and are already being addressed.

“Scholarship funds come from the government and are not directly in our control, but we are following up. These are basic issues related to students’ rights and the administration is working to resolve them,” Ekbote said.

Deshmukh said that most of the issues raised by students have already been resolved, while the remaining will be addressed within the next 60 days.

The ABVP warned that it will intensify its agitation if the administration fails to implement solutions within the promised timeframe.