GADVASU’s reshuffling order triggers angry protest from students.

Source – hindustantimes.com

As many as 68 students from the Government Veterinary College, Rampura Phul, Bathinda, staged a protest at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, against the latter’s decision to shift them to Khalsa College in Amritsar. 

The university authorities have cited a recent order of the Punjab and Haryana high court to be the reason behind the move, but the students, who were admitted after alleged controversial counselling held late evening on September 30 last year, are up in arms against the exorbitant fee being charged at the Amritsar college.

One of the protesters, Jatin, said, “Our college is a government-run institution with nominal annual fee of ₹2 lakh and hostel fee ₹10,000 for the veterinary course, whereas Khalsa College, which is run by a trust, is charging ₹5 lakh as annual fee and ₹50,00 as hostel charges. It is unfair on the part of university to reshuffle the students mid way.” 

The students demanded that the university’s decision should be rolled back. The protesters said they will launch a strike till their demands were met. The situation turned tense when the protesters holding placards, squatted in front of the vehicles of GADVASU officials in an attempt to block their passage. 

The students said the university authorities had warned them of disciplinary action and expulsion if they do not agree to the decision.

Manpreet Singh, another protester, said, “The university authorities had conducted the counselling at the eleventh hour. We got admission as per the legal process. We sympathise with the students of Khalsa College who had challenged the counselling in the high court. But what is our fault?”

Another student, Muskan Modgil, said, “Many students, who had even got admission in Khalsa College did not opt for the institute due to the exorbitant fees. A majority of the girl students studying in Rampura Phul college hail from the neighbouring towns of Muktsar, Malout and Moga. Amritsar is far for us. And to top it all, the university is telling us to shift in the middle of the session and arrange the remaining funds. It is totally unjust.” 

Varsity’s stand

GADVASU registrar Sushil Prabhakar said the students from Khalsa College had approached the high court stating that the admissions were done on a short notice. “The high court has directed us to accommodate the students by conducting internal shuffling. We are just following the orders of the court according to which some students of Khalsa College will be shifted to Rampura Phul, and vice-versa. Some students, who are against the move, were protesting,” said Prabhakar.