Patna: JD Women’s College teachers oppose Mata Sita University affiliation, demand repeal of Bihar Act

Faculty members of a women's college in Patna took out a protest march against what they called the institution's "forced" affiliation to Mata Sita Women's University. They also demanded the revocation of the Bihar Special Universities Act, 2026, which allows the establishment of specialised, multidisciplinary universities in the state, with the chief minister serving as the chancellor.

The march, taken out from the J D Women's College and scheduled to conclude at Lok Bhavan, was disrupted midway after police detained several protesters. "There was public disorder and traffic disruption, prompting police to detain several protesters. Other agitators were counselled and asked to present their demands at the appropriate forum, and in a proper manner," Patna Sub-divisional Magistrate Kritika Mishra said. She said the situation was under control and police were still assessing the number of detainees. Mishra said the protesters "were not willing to cooperate" despite continuous efforts by the administration to persuade them to send a delegation to present their demands.

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The detentions were carried out after hours of persuasive efforts, she added. "Bihar Special Universities Act 2026 runs counter to our existing service conditions and terms. We want it revoked. Our service conditions should remain intact. We are not against Mata Sita University but want to stay under the purview of the Patliputra University," Meenu Gupta from the Department of Botany at J D Women's College told PTI Videos.

Notably, acting within the ambit of the new Act, the Bihar government gave a cabinet approval for the framework of the new Maa Sita Women's University, under which all women's colleges in Patna, except those under Patna University, would be clubbed. Gupta said the government should address the lack of basic facilities in the older universities rather than instituting newer varsities, adding there was "no logic to institute a dedicated university for a particular gender because we talk of equality in education".

Purnima Singh from the Department of Political Science accused the police of "misbehaving with women faculty members" in the process of detaining them. "We were protesting peacefully and wanted to march to Lok Bhavan to put forth our demands. However, we are aghast at the treatment meted out to women teachers. This is against the ethos of a democratic society," she said.