Student protests at Haryana agriculture university end with VC put on leave, new students' welfare head

Amid an agreement between the agitating Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) students and state government, putting a break on the two-week long protest over scholarship rules and sending the vice-chancellor on a six-month leave, the university has appointed a new director of students’ welfare. Nayab Singh Saini government assured students on June 25 that their demands will be fulfilled with a slight tweak to the demand for removal of VC B R Kamboj.

For the smooth and ‘impartial’ conduct of an inquiry into a violent scuffle between students, security personnel, and university staff on June 10 by a fact-finding committee, the competent authority has given the charge of director students’ welfare to S K Pahuja, who currently serves as dean of College of Agriculture, and relieved M L Khilchar from the office with immediate effect. As part of the agreement, the government told students that a three-member panel will be formed to investigate the incident.

Why were CCS HAU students protesting?

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCS HAU) students have been asking for suspension of the VC, accusing him of ordering lathi-charge on protesting students which left several injured. Among other student demands were arrest of the chief security officer and those involved in the alleged attack, no disciplinary action against protesting students, roll-back of revised scholarship eligibility criteria.

The 'Chhatra Nyay Mahapanchayat' protest, held outside gate number 4 of the university, saw participation from opposition leaders, farmer unions, student organisations and employee bodies.

The Haryana government formed a four-member committee including education minister Mahipal Dhanda to hold discussions with the students, while noting that the insistence on VC’s removal was being “fuelled” by political leaders.

Hisar-based agricultural university students were opposing the revised stipend policy, as per which, only the top 25% of postgraduate students and those who score 75% or above marks were eligible for the stipend.