Mita Mukherjee

The stalemate at the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, due to students’ agitation protesting against vice-chancellor Jai Shankar Singh for allegedly visiting the girls’ hostel without prior notice and making some remarks about students’ outfits, continued for the third day on Tuesday, according to the university.

The varsity authorities shut down the campus on Monday till further orders with students demanding resignation of the vice-chancellor and refusing to withdraw the agitation till he steps down.

Anand Pawar, the registrar of the university said that a nine-member committee has been constituted to discuss and resolve the students’ grievances and a meeting was convened between the committee members and students’ representatives on Monday afternoon. But students did not respond to the university’s proposal.

“The university has constituted a committee. We are ready to hear their (students) grievances. The committee approached the students on Monday to discuss and address their grievances. They have been invited to meet the committee anytime they want. But as of now the students have not approached the committee. The university functioned on Monday. But no classes have been held since this morning,” Pawar told EducationWorld on Tuesday.

According to Pawar, the vice-chancellor had visited the hostel to inspect the mess after receiving complaints from some students about the quality of food served to them.

The students started the agitation on Sunday after the vice-chancellor visited the girls’ hostel, entered some rooms and asked students about their “short” outfits.

Later, the students released a statement where they said: “ A deeply concerning incident has taken place at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) where the Vice Chancellor Jai Shankar Singh entered the rooms of the female students in the girls’ hostel without their consent or prior notice. This inappropriate and intrusive action has caused significant discomfort and raised serious concerns about student safety… despite the students’ resistance, the Vice Chancellor entered their rooms and asked inappropriate questions including “ Aapne shorts kyun pehni hai, further violating personal space and right to privacy….”

The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law funded by the Punjab government is one of the top law schools in India.

After the incident a large number of students had assembled in front of the VC’s residence on Sunday evening and started shouting slogans and demanded his resignation.

The students alleged that ever since the VC joined the university in March he took a number of anti-students measures and now he violated the privacy of the students.

They said as per university rules entry of male inside the hostel is strictly prohibited and even parents are not allowed to enter hostel rooms.

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