ABVP, police clash at HP university over fee hike; SFI also protests student issues

Shimla: A scuffle broke out between the ABVP and police in Shimla on Saturday when activists attempted to burn an effigy of Prof Mahavir Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, over their unmet demands, primarily the rollback of a recent fee hike, police said. Several Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists gathered at the university campus, a few hours before the scheduled meeting of the university's Executive Council (EC), police said.

They said the activists carried out the VC's funeral procession and tried to burn his effigy; however, police prevented them from setting the effigy on fire, leading to a clash. Addressing the protest, ABVP campus president Akshay Thakur demanded a rollback of the recently hiked fees, stating that it creates an undue financial burden on the students, especially for those from low-income families.

He also demanded improved bus services for students, restoration of Students' Central Association (SCA) elections, and immediate recruitment of non-teaching staff to ensure the university functions smoothly. Thakur said the university administration was not taking any concrete steps to address students' issues despite repeated protests and memorandum submissions. He warned that the ABVP will intensify its movement by mobilising students from across the state if the demands are not fulfilled.

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Later, ABVP activists submitted a memorandum of their demands to the university's Pro VC, who assured them that their demands would be considered. Meanwhile, Students Federation of India (SFI) activists also protested at the university, demanding the restoration of SCA elections, withdrawal of the fee hike, construction of new hostels, allocation of teaching work only to regular faculty members, and a judicial enquiry into teacher recruitment and the university's financial matters.

An SFI delegation also submitted a memorandum to EC members, urging them to take immediate action on the pending demands. Speaking at the protest, SFI Campus Secretary Mukesh accused the university administration of ignoring students' concerns. He alleged that the university was incurring unnecessary expenditure instead of maintaining financial discipline and transparency.