Centre informed: Allahabad University on British High Commission officials meeting protesting students

PRAYAGARAJ: The Allahabad University has taken exception to the reported meeting of two British High Commission officials with students protesting fee hike, saying they "violated protocol". The Union Education Ministry, the Prayagraj district administration and the divisional commissioner have been informed about the matter, a university spokesperson, Jaya Kapoor, said on Friday.

According to her, the two officials of the British High Commission met students on August 29 without informing the university administration, and urged them to avail the facilities offered by the British government. They also met some students protesting the fee hike in the university, she said.

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Ajay Singh Samrat, one of the protesting students, told PTI, "On August 29, a former president of the student union had brought two officials of the British High Commission to meet the protesters." Richard Barlow, head of political and bilateral affairs at the British High Commission and Bhavana Vij senior political advisor met the students and inquired about their problems, he said. Samrat said that both the officials motivated the students to participate in the competitions organised by the British High Commission, and the winner will be made the High Commissioner for a day.

When asked about the matter, Jaya Kapoor said, "We came to know from newspapers that two officials from the British High Commission along with a former president of the student union had come to the university." "The people of the British High Commission neither contacted that university administration nor took any permission. His status is that of a diplomat, and he should have met the vice-chancellor. He did not adhere to the protocol, and directly met the students," she said.

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Kapoor said, "We have informed our ministry (Education Ministry), the district administration and the divisional commissioner about this." A group of students under the banner of 'Chhatrasangh Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti' are protesting fee hike in Allahabad University. The university has increased the under-graduate fees by almost 400 times.