Following the refusal of Governor and Chancellor of Ravenshaw University Dr SC Jamir to accept his resignation, Vice-Chancellor Prof Prakash Chandra Sarangi on Tuesday attended his office and asserted that any form of indiscipline by students in the campus shall be dealt with a heavy hand. He also vowed that the university authorities would, henceforth, not yield to any political interference while carrying out their activities.
“The Chancellor has assured me that all administrative cooperation shall be extended to me while dealing with any form of indiscipline by any group of students in the campus. If need arises, he has assured that he (Chancellor) would speak to the State Government about it,” Sarangi said.
Prof Sarangi had earlier alleged that students owning allegiance to local political leaders were creating unnecessary disturbances and spoiling the academic ambience of the campus.
“Empowered with political connections, the guilty and erring students are even demanding to be judge, jury and executioner,” Sarangi said on Tuesday, emphasising that no amount of political interference would be allowed henceforth in the university.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahi on Tuesday denied that the Government had ever tried to meddle with the affairs of any university. “The Vice-Chancellor’s statements are of his own and the Government doesn’t buy them,” Panigrahi said, pointing fingers at Sarangi for not able to handle the students’ unrest.
On the other hand, opposition parties Congress and BJP have decided to gherao the university on Wednesday protesting against the “interference of two local BJD MlAs” in the affairs of the university.