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Monday, Mar 17, 2008
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Culture varsity face students’ ire

Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR: The students’ stir that has plagued the campus of the premiere college of performing arts of the State - the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya (USM) - has spread its wings to the Utkal University of Culture (UUC).

Barely a day after the USM students went on a rampage on the campus alleging sexual harassment of the girl students by two faculty members, the simmering discontent of the students of the one-year-old dance, drama and music departments of UUC surfaced on Saturday.

Lack of infrastructure

Lamenting lack of minimum infrastructure and study environment besides an ad-hoc attitude of the university authorities towards their plight, they have threatened to go on strike for an indefinite period since Monday. They have also submitted memorandum to the Governor, Culture Minister, Commissioner of Culture and the university Vice- Chancellor. Meanwhile, Culture Minister S.N.Patro has suspended Bhawani Charan Biswal and Sukesh Panda, both members of the faculty, against whom the students have labelled serious allegations. The Minister has also removed Nalini Nihar Nayak, an ad-hoc lecturer of the drama department. As the USM campus continued to remain tense for the second consecutive day, the Minister had to skip the Assembly proceedings to rush to the campus to take stock of the situation. Accompanied by several senior officials of the department and the College principal, Mr.Patro met the inmates of the girls’ hostel to ascertain the facts. The committee would submit its report within a fortnight, he stated.

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