RU students demand warden’s removal

There were hooligans who would come to the hostel inebriated and were staying illegally. I just took action against them.

Students staying in the University of Rajasthan’s Aravali hostel demanded that the warden be removed over his alleged misbehaviour.

About 80 students, camping outside the vice chancellor’s secretariat from Friday evening, alleged that warden Surendra Singh Chouhan misbehaved with them, embezzled hostel funds, and hurled casteist remarks at them.

The hostel is reserved for students from scheduled castes.

Chouhan, who teaches in the department of environmental science, rubbished the allegations and said he had cracked the whip on students who were staying illegally in the hostel.

“There were hooligans who would come to the hostel inebriated and were staying illegally. I just took action against them. They are the ones who are instigating the rest,” he said.

Agitating students also complained about deterioration of hostel facilities after the warden took charge over two years ago.

A student complained that the hostel has only one water cooler that functions without a purifier. When HT visited the hostel, two coolers, fitted with purifiers, were found in the hostel.

Rakesh Bhatia, a history research scholar who claimed to be a hostel resident, complained about food served in the mess was poor. “The solar water heater in the hostel did not work during the winter,” he added.

The warden said, “The solar water heater did function for some time but the whole university was affected by the heater’s poor maintenance contract.”

Manoj Verma, doing MA in economics, alleged that the warden makes casteist remarks and targets those who raise hostel issues.

“Police also visit the hostel frequently at his behest to instill fear in us. What business do police have in a students’ hostel?” he asks.

The warden said, “I took a meeting with the students on Friday evening, but they did not raise any issues.”