COA students demand stopping of merger of institute with Ambedkar University

NEW DELHI: Students of the College of Art (COA) have demanded the cessation of merger of the institute with the Delhi government-run Ambedkar University and accused the COA authorities of "betrayal". The students have also alleged that the college authorities have "speeded up" the file for de-affiliation of the college from Delhi University and its merger with Ambedkar University.

There was no immediate response from the COA management. The demands of students were mentioned in a manifesto issued by the students' community of the College of Art. The decision was taken in March last year. Delhi University was informed that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor has in principle approved the merger of the College of Art (COA), subject to its de-affiliation from the university.

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DU has not yet approved the de-affiliation. A section of students from the College of Art on Saturday also staged a protest near chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence over the institute's merger with Ambedkar University. "We the students of COA demand a serious inquiry on the degrees and marksheets of certain professors. We demand to expunge the idea of de-affiliation of COA from DU and cessation of the process of the merger of COA with AUD immediately and permanently for the imminent present and infinite future," the manifesto read.

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"If only the merger is so compelling then we want merger with DU. Also, we humbly request you to begin the process of detained admission for the session of 2021-22 immediately and positively," it added. Not only students but the Delhi University Teachers' Association also registered its protest against the merger saying that the College of Art was de-affiliated from DU and "merged without consulting stakeholders and without due processes".