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Utkal varsity: State defers student union elections

BHUBANESWAR: Making a firm move to control recurring students’ unrests that has spoiled academic environ on campus of Utkal University, the State government has deferred proposed elections to students’ union for an indefinite period.

A high level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra on Thursday felt that students’ union election was the main reason behind violence for past four months. Taking advantage of police administration’s reluctance to take stringent action against agitating students, two main political parties, Biju Janata Dal and Congress, tried to establish their dominance on the campus.

It was also decided that Utkal University would take disciplinary action against students who would be clinching evidence of breaching varsity regulations. Disciplinary committee of university would review all matters.

“Commissioner of Police for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack would conduct a security audit of the university. Utkal University gave green signal for deploying private security personnel to strengthen reporting and quick response mechanism on campus,” said Madhusudan Padhi, secretary for higher education.

From now on hostel regulations would be made stricter. Students, if found outside hostel beyond permissible time, could face stringent action . For past four months Utkal University has seen one of its worst phases when its campus hogged limelight for all wrong reasons. From hurling of bombs to staging fatal attacks on students had become order of the day. Following every incident of violence hundreds of students could be found on roads getting ready to block vehicular movement. During this time semester examinations were postponed.

Fearing backlash city police showed restrain beyond limit even though several complaints against troublemakers were filed at Sahid Nagar police station. Politics backed by violence also spread to other colleges of the State. Students’ wings of both BJD and Congress were seen immediately jumping to stage agitations at short notices. Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University Binayak Rath was present at the meeting.

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