ASSISTANT PROFESSOR CANDIDATES FIRM ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR CANDIDATES FIRM ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE

7-AUG-ENG 13

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------The indefinite hunger strike by candidates protesting against the new recruitment rules for Assistant Professors in Bihar continued for the third consecutive day on Thursday. Candidates participating in the ongoing protest in the capital, Patna, have declared that their hunger strike will not end until the government takes a concrete decision regarding their legitimate demands.

Abhishek Mehta and Bikku Singh Pradhan, who are on a hunger strike alongside movement convener Kumud Patel, stated that this battle is not merely about securing a job for any single individual; rather, it is being fought to safeguard the future of thousands of researchers, PhD holders, and the higher education sector in Bihar. They allege that the new recruitment regulations are unjust to qualified candidates.

The protesters state that they have submitted memoranda to the government, staged demonstrations, and attempted peaceful dialogue regarding their demands, yet no positive initiative has been taken so far. Consequently, they were compelled to resort to an indefinite hunger strike.

Raja Paswan, a supporter of the movement, outlined the candidates' key demands: implementing UGC regulations for Assistant Professor recruitment, raising the maximum age limit to 55 years, making a PhD a mandatory qualification, ensuring regular recruitment across all subjects, implementing a domicile policy, and guaranteeing the autonomy of universities and colleges.

As the hunger strike entered its third day, the protesters appealed to the government to hold immediate talks and find a resolution. They warned that if their demands continue to be ignored, the movement would be expanded across the entire state of Bihar.

A large number of candidates were present at the protest site, including Radheshyam, Raja Paswan, Chandan Tiwari, Madhavi, Dr. Ritu, Dev Arya, Ratnesh Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Akash Kumar, Chandan Singh, Rahul Kumar Jha, Devendra Yadav, Nitesh Patel, and Ravi Prakash Suraj.