Pune: Tensions flared at Army Law College (ALC) in Kanhe, Pune, on August 8 when police were called to the campus after a student protest against principal Madhushree Joshi escalated.
Vadgaon Maval police said they were deployed to “control the situation” after the demonstration turned heated. “Students were aggressive. The matter is entirely between the college management and the students’ council. Our role is only to maintain law and order,” said Inspector Kumar Kadam. “We have not filed any FIR yet. Unless the principal lodges a complaint, no criminal case will be registered.”
The protest continued for the fourth day on Monday with over 300 students alleging mismanagement, harassment, and deterioration in academic standards under Joshi’s leadership.
The principal rejected the allegations, calling the agitation “motivated by a few who don’t want the institute to excel”. She said ALC operates under the defence norms with student safety and quality education as its core priorities.
“Any grievance is addressed as per ALC code to maintain a high order and secure environment, especially for girl students. The protest was neither expected nor required, as the ALC office is always open for dialogue. However, the demonstration turned into a threat to my office, with attempts to damage property and enter restricted areas. To safeguard all students and faculty, we sought police presence. The letter submitted will be considered under ALC norms in the best interests of students. My message to students is to maintain decorum, avoid being influenced by those without their best interests at heart, and focus on academics and professional growth,” Joshi said.
{{/usCountry}}“Any grievance is addressed as per ALC code to maintain a high order and secure environment, especially for girl students. The protest was neither expected nor required, as the ALC office is always open for dialogue. However, the demonstration turned into a threat to my office, with attempts to damage property and enter restricted areas. To safeguard all students and faculty, we sought police presence. The letter submitted will be considered under ALC norms in the best interests of students. My message to students is to maintain decorum, avoid being influenced by those without their best interests at heart, and focus on academics and professional growth,” Joshi said.
{{/usCountry}}Students, however, claimed the administration is running the college in a “hostile, unprofessional, and oppressive” manner since the appointment of Joshi and registrar Colonel Suneel Mann. They allege faculty are forced to teach subjects outside their expertise, academic timetables are changed without notice, grievance emails go unanswered, and the statutory student council was dissolved in violation of university rules.
Fourth-year student Devansh Tripathi said arbitrary attendance rules are damaging their academic records. “When we go out of state for competitions, we’re given attendance for only one day. Faculty with PhDs in specific subjects are forced to teach unrelated courses. Strictness should not mean arbitrariness.”
Others accuse the administration of evicting students from hostels during short vacations, discriminating based on parents’ military rank, overcharging for services, and blocking placement activities. They cited cases where attendance was refused even for hospitalised students, and where extra payments were demanded for college transport despite prior fees.
The August 8 protest, they said, was a “last resort” after all grievance mechanisms failed. Their demands include Joshi’s removal, corrective action against the registrar, reinstatement of the student council, a fact-finding commission, and a neutral grievance redressal body.