Tension at UoH as students try to gatecrash meeting

Tension prevailed at the University of Hyderabad campus as police detained students from several organisations trying to enter the campus demanding the resignation and arrest of Vice Chancellor Podile Appa Rao. 

Under the banner of joint action committee for social justice that spearheads the agitation to get justice for research scholar Rohit Vemula’s suicide, students called for a ‘chalo UoH’ to converge at the campus gates and demonstrate as the varsity held its 76th Academic Council (AC) meeting.

At the varsity’s website, Prof Appa Rao, who chaired the meeting at the VC lodge, said the AC has been called following the university’s recent national ranking, particularly its high rating at social justice. 

“In this spirit, the AC would discuss, among other things, setting up an ombudsman, constituting an equal opportunity cell and appointing an Anti-Discrimination Officer in line with the 2012 UGC regulations,” the VC said in a statement, adding finalising admissions was also part of the agenda.  “I appeal to all sections of the University community, including students, teaching, non-teaching staff to kindly cooperate for successful conduct of the Academic Council Meeting,” Prof Appa Rao said.

Even as activists from AISF, SFI and PDSU climbed the gates shouting slogans against the Vice-Chancellor, Controller of Examination Professor V Krishna walked out of the AC meeting holding the Vice-Chancellor responsible for the current turmoil at the varsity and declaring him unfit to continue. 

“I hold the VC responsible for the death of Rohith. He has lost control over the university and unfit to continue. I am with students and will fight along with them,” Prof Krishna told media.