Patna: Patna University witnessed a major student protest on September 10, as AISF activists moved to shut university offices and classrooms after talks with Vice-Chancellor Prof Ajay Kumar Singh failed to resolve their demands.
The protesters entered university offices, switched off lights and locked the Academic Council office. They later moved to classrooms and academic departments, asking regular classes to be stopped.
The action came as AISF students continued their indefinite hunger strike for the fourth consecutive day.
Students Raise 10-Point List Of Demands
AISF said its agitation is based on a 10-point list of demands concerning students and university administration.
The key issues raised by the organisation include an alleged paper leak in the LLB entrance examination, a substantial increase in postgraduate fees and the delay in starting Master of Fine Arts (MFA) courses.
AISF has also demanded the removal of the vice-chancellor.
The allegation of an LLB entrance examination paper leak has been raised by the protesting students and was not independently established in the source report.
Talks With VC End Without Agreement
The university shutdown followed a meeting between AISF representatives and the vice-chancellor on Wednesday.
Prof Ajay Kumar Singh had invited the protesting students for discussions after their hunger strike continued. A five-member AISF delegation met the vice-chancellor at his office.
According to the students, the talks continued for a considerable period but ended without an agreement on their demands.
Following the unsuccessful meeting, AISF decided to intensify its agitation and called for the university to be shut on Thursday.
Offices And Classrooms Shut
The protesters first moved through administrative offices, where they switched off lights and stopped work. They also locked the Academic Council office.
AISF activists subsequently reached the Urdu Department and Commerce College, where they asked academic activities to stop.
The protesters also entered classrooms and asked students to leave, disrupting regular teaching activities.
Four-Day Hunger Strike Continues
AISF students have been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike for four days as part of the agitation.
The protesters said the health of students participating in the hunger strike was deteriorating. A medical team has been monitoring them, according to the report.
The students had also surrounded the vice-chancellor on Wednesday before the administration called representatives for talks.
AISF members have meanwhile been approaching students across the university seeking support for their demands. The organisation claimed that several students had backed the agitation.
AISF Demands VC’s Removal
AISF Patna district secretary Mir Saif Ali said the organisation would expand the protest if the university administration did not take steps towards resolving its demands.
He alleged that the university administration was adopting an authoritarian approach and called for the vice-chancellor to be removed.
The organisation has linked its demand for the vice-chancellor’s removal to what it describes as failures in addressing students’ concerns.
“Pradhan Resigned, Now VC Should Too”
During Thursday’s protest, AISF student Dev Pathak invoked the recent Gen-Z protests while demanding the vice-chancellor’s resignation.
Pathak said, “Pradhan resigned after Gen-Z protest, now VC should too,” referring to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The statement became one of the prominent slogans of the protest as AISF students intensified their campaign across the university.
AISF student Sabina, who joined the protest while playing a dafli, said the students had been on hunger strike for four days and alleged that their demands had not been accepted.
She also criticised the increase in university fees and questioned the administration’s handling of the students’ concerns.
Protest Spreads Across University
The agitation spread from administrative offices to academic departments and classrooms during the day.
AISF protesters raised slogans supporting student unity while continuing their shutdown campaign.
The students said the university would remain the focus of their agitation until the administration responds positively to their demands.
The university administration’s detailed response to the AISF allegations and its position on the organisation’s 10-point demands were not included in the source report.
