Students Protest at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law in Patiala

Protest Continues for Fifth Day

Patiala, Punjab – Students at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law have been protesting for five days, demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Jai Shankar Singh. They allege that he violated the privacy of female students during a hostel visit.

Student Concerns

A protestor stated, “This is the fifth day of our protest. Since the Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission came here yesterday, we are hopeful that the situation will get better but we are waiting for a formal acceptance of our demand so that we can go ahead…We do not have facilities…It was very hot yesterday and students had to face physical consequences due to heat and deficiency of water…A few students and their parents were contacted by the person in question yesterday that they are here to study and not to protest and that they should call off the protest and study otherwise they will have to face consequences like expulsion or suspension…”

University’s Response

The University assured that the issue will be resolved soon and urged politicians to refrain from commenting on it. “We will resolve the issue today…This is not an election issue…This is a matter of our University and politicians should avoid commenting on it…We will make all efforts to resolve this issue at the earliest…The students came to us and requested me to visit their rooms to see their problems regarding the students staying under double-occupancy in single occupancy rooms. I visited only those specific rooms. We will make a new hostel soon and try to resolve this issue…” said the University.

Intervention by Punjab Women Commission

Punjab Women Commission Chairperson Raj Lali Gill visited the university and met with students, the Vice-Chancellor, and faculty members. She suggested forming a committee to address the issues. “I went there and met the students. I also met the VC and faculty members. I came to know that the students indeed have a few issues – that the VC came upstairs without informing them beforehand. When I spoke with the VC, he said that the students themselves had told him to come upstairs and check the rooms. But the room he went to, perhaps the girls in those rooms didn’t know that he was arriving there. The students also raised the issue of fees and installation of lights…I told the students to not let their studies get affected, I told them to form a committee and include a few student representatives in it as well as faculty members…The committee can sit down and try to ask the VC directly about the issues of students. The deadlock will end this way. The students said that they want people from outside too in the committee, besides student representatives. Students were happy with the suggestions, they told me also to come once the committee is formed. I told them that I couldn’t be there as a member but I will definitely be there as an observer…I will write to the CM, Education Minister, DC and VC regarding my observations and suggestions so that the issues can be resolved at the earliest so that they can resume their studies,” said Gill.