Varsity expels 9 students minutes before exam

The university proctor handed down the expulsion letters to us 10 minutes before the exam was to start today.

The Central University of Rajasthan expelled nine postgraduate students on Monday, mere minutes before their fourth semester exam began.

The expulsion, officials said, was over a clash between them and the staff of a canteen on March 24 over bad food. The issue had at the time snowballed into a larger student protest, defused only after the administration officials stepped in and promised students to act against staffers who took part in the brawl.

“The university proctor handed down the expulsion letters to us 10 minutes before the exam was to start today”, said Gaurav Sharma, one of the expelled students, who was supposed to take his MSc semester-IV exam.

Sharma said the administration took the decision unilaterally, and did not hear their side of the story.

“They have ruined our lives”, he said, as the eight others with him sat on an indefinite dharna outside the vice chancellor’s office.

The March 24 clashes took place when students complained of sub-standard food.

After the brawl in the canteen, students went on a hunger strike to press for action against the staffers who assaulted them. On March 27, the officials promised to look into the matter and the stir was called off.

Subham Sharma, Bhawar Singh, Gaurav and Hansaraj Bagariya were permanently expelled from the varsity, while Mahendra Jat, Sunil Chopra, Nitesh Choudhary, Pawan and Sandeep Choudhary were expelled for a year.

“The expelled students come from a very humble background as fathers of all of them, except Pawan Kumar’s who is a school teacher, work as famers. We all are from very poor background, we had come here to make our future but see what our teachers have done to us”, said Bhanwar Singh.

University proctor Laxmi Kant Sharma told HT that the action was on the recommendation of the disciplinary committee of five senior professors.

When questioned if the quantum of punishment given to students was justified, Sharma disconnected the phone and did not respond to further calls.