GOVERNOR BLACK FLAGGED AT ARA

GOVERNOR BLACK FLAGGED AT ARA

17-JULY-ENG 33

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------When the Governor of Bihar visited Veer Kunwar Singh University for an interaction with students and faculty, the student organization AISA attempted to submit a 23-point charter of demands. When the Governor did not accept the memorandum, student leaders protested by displaying black bands.

Today, the student organization AISA attempted to submit a 23-point charter of demands—addressing various student issues—to the Governor of Bihar (who is also the Chancellor of the university) at Veer Kunwar Singh University. Dozens of AISA leaders and hundreds of students had gathered peacefully at the university's main gate, awaiting the Governor's arrival.

AISA alleges that the Governor's convoy passed through the main gate without stopping; he neither interacted with the students nor accepted their memorandum. The students viewed this as a disregard for their democratic demands and an insult to the student community.

In protest against the Governor's refusal to accept the memorandum, AISA leaders and students staged a demonstration, displaying black bands and raising slogans. Subsequently, a large number of students marched towards the university's administrative building and reached the Vice-Chancellor's office. The police administration attempted to stop the protesters, leading to a heated altercation between the police and the students. However, the students remained steadfast in their demands and continued to call for immediate intervention by the university administration.

AISA stated that students' grievances regarding the education system, admissions, examinations, results, hostels, scholarships, and other issues concerning student welfare have long been ignored by the university. This protest was organized to press for the 23-point list of demands. AISA warned that if prompt, positive action is not taken regarding the students' demands, the agitation will be intensified and expanded; the university administration and the state government will bear full responsibility for this. Dozens of students participated in this protest, including AISA District President Vikash Kumar, District Secretary Jaishankar Prasad, District Joint Secretaries Chandan Das, Roshan Kushwaha, and Sahil Arora, District Vice-Presidents Rajesh Kumar, Anup Kumar, Vivek, Muskan Kumari, and Sagar Paswan, District Joint Secretary Sumit Kumar, as well as Gautam Yadav, Virat, Neetu Kumari (State Vice-President and women's wing leader), Varsha, Hansika Ojha, and Dipankar.

AISA prepared a 23-point charter of demands, outlined as follows:

1. Completely abolish the mandatory CGPA requirement for undergraduate (UG) courses and guarantee the award of Honours and Research degrees to all students completing the four-year curriculum.

2. Reinstate the provision of 30 API score points for the Ph.D. degree.

3. Ensure free enrollment for female students in all UG and PG classes across all colleges, in accordance with the Bihar government's directives.

4. Withdraw the New Education Policy (NEP) and abolish the CBCS system.

5. Announce the date for student union elections without delay and conduct the elections.

6. Implement GSCASH (Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment) within university and college campuses.

7. Establish a modern printing press within the university.

8. Guarantee the timely provision of fellowships and research materials to research scholars.

9. Ensure the issuance of original certificates, mark sheets, and degrees—pending for years—within a stipulated timeframe.

10. Establish a government data bank within the university to handle technical tasks and facilitate the rapid resolution of technical errors.

11. Arrange for adequate hostel facilities at the university and all affiliated colleges.

12. Introduce courses in Journalism, LL.B., and LL.M. at the university. 13. The number of seats across all undergraduate and postgraduate subjects should be increased in proportion to the student enrollment.

14. Regular classes should be conducted in all university departments and affiliated colleges, with a mandatory 75% student attendance.

15. The BET examination should be conducted regularly every year. (These were among a total of 23 demands.)