Visakhapatnam, Sep 26 Andhra University students called off their protest over the death of a colleague on Friday after authorities announced a committee to look into their demands.
Cooperative Society officer Triveni visited the university as the representative of the District Collector and announced that a committee comprising the superintendent of King George Hospital (KGH), principal of Andhra Medical College and another medical expert would be constituted.
Students placed their 10 demands before the official. Vice-Chancellor G. P. Rajasekhar gave the assurance that the committee would resolve them before the end of the Dussehra festival.
Tensions mounted at Andhra University following widespread student protests over the death of a B.Ed student
V. Venkata Sai Manikantha, a B.Ed student, died on Thursday in Satavahana hostel. The death triggered a huge protest by students.
They stated that the death could have been avoided had there been good medical support on the university campus. They complained of the university’s poorly equipped medical infrastructure and administrative apathy.
The protestors accused Vice Chancellor Rajasekhar of failing to discharge his responsibilities. There was tension on the campus on Thursday when the students marched to his office, alleging that he ignored their pleas and labelled them a mob.
The students continued their protest in front of the registrar’s office on Friday morning. They raised slogans against the Vice-Chancellor when he arrived there. They demanded the withdrawal of the police force from the campus and Rs 1 crore compensation for the family of the deceased students.
There was a minor scuffle between protesting students and police. The district administration intervened to bring the situation under control.
In view of the protest, University authorities declared Dussehra holidays a day in advance. The holidays were originally scheduled from September 28 to October 5, but due to the student protest, the management announced the holidays from September 27.
Meanwhile, the student wing of the YSR Congress Party claimed that Manikanta lost his life at Andhra University due to a lack of oxygen cylinders in the dispensary.
“Students are outraged and protesting against the gross negligence of the Vice Chancellor, demanding his resignation. But the real accountability lies with Education Minister Nara Lokesh and his failed administration, when even basic healthcare for students inside universities is neglected, it exposes the utter collapse of the education ministry under his watch,” the student wing of YSRCP said.
Speaking in the Assembly on Friday, Lokesh alleged that some forces were deliberately trying to create problems in the institutions of higher learning. He said the government was ready for talks with the student union to address their demands.
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