Students protests turn intense at Agra

Over three months of students protests against the inefficient management of Agra university turned more intense after some agitating female students were allegedly thrashed by the security staff on Monday.

While the teachers and students groups have demanded an independent probe into the incident, university vice chancellor D.N. Jauhar says it was planted and the whole issue has been hyped by the media.

Since Monday, the university campus has been in turmoil with protest marches, rallies and fasts.

Each day, agitating students have been coming up with innovative methods of protest. Last week, donkeys and buffaloes were paraded with name tags on the campus.

Ever since Jauhar took charge of the university a year back, he has been entangled in one controversy or another.

From charges of mass copying, bungling in examinations, late results, forged marksheets, leaked question papers, the list of allegations against the university is indeed long.

Around 12,000 students are waiting for their marksheets or results. Hundreds of students crowd university counters to get marks changed or corrected.

"Till we get the corrected marksheets, how will we get admission in the next class," asks Geeta of the Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha.

Students from RB Degree College have been agitating for the past fortnight, demanding declaration of results. When a delegation went to meet the vice chancellor, the members were forced out and scolded.

The vice chancellor on his part says, "When I took over, the university was in a total mess. I have been trying hard to restore sanity and a degree of efficient working, but these things take time."

"Students groups and other interest groups keep trying to build pressure and get things done. I have stood my ground with integrity and transparency. Conditions will improve, I am sure," he said.