Students of the Rama Devi Women’s University here on Monday locked up the institution’s main gate protesting against the cancellation of Students’ Union elections this year.
Condemning the State Government’s decision to cancel the polls at colleges and universities, the agitating students also staged a dharna in front of the university’s gate. They termed the Government’s act as “murder of democracy”.
However, a clash also erupted between two groups of students when some protestors smeared ink on the posters of Higher Education Minister Arun Sahoo by holding him responsible for the decision to cancel elections. Normalcy returned to the university campus after intervention of police, who managed to pacify the students.
Notably, Higher Education Secretary Saswat Mishra on August 22 apprised the Vice-Chancellors of universities and Principals of degree colleges about the decision of cancelation of polls through a letter.
Instead of elections, the Government has decided to nominate students’ representatives to various forums of the educational institutions.