Pondichery University Students on Strike: Nepotism Depleting Education
Pondicherry Central University, a university which had 300% progress recently has lost all itsprestige thanks to the new regime under the new vice chancellor Dr. Chandra Krishnamoorthy. Politics and nepotism sabotaging education system is becoming
a nationwide phenomenon in India (FYUP and CBCS in DU for instance) and PU students
are the victims this time. Over 200 students of Pondicherry University students are on strike for a week now because the limits of toleration is over now. Students who were protesting peacefully were met with lathis by the police under the guidance of the University authorities.
Dr. Chandra Krishnamoorthy has a record that her Ph.D thesis was detected with 98% plagiarism that too from a Sri Lankan university sans UGC approval.
The only qualification that she had was that she was a dear friend to ex Minister P. Chidambaram’s wife. Since her ascension as Vice Chancellor,the University is facing its worst days ever.Four senior students of the University were arrested under the charges of ragging and sexual harassment but the university authorities did not pursue any disciplinary actions against them.Instead the two victims were expelled from the institution. The issue was taken to court and the miscreants were punished and the University was fined 40,000 Rupees for not taking any action.
The University had nine PG men’s hostels, 3 Ph.D mens hostels, five ladies hostels and one Ph.D ladies hostel built during the Dr. Thareen’s regime. The hostels could accommodate two thousand students altogether. But today the number of students have risen to 6000 and the hostel facilities remain the same. There are just three bathrooms for eighty
students and one room
is shared by over six students. Funds allotted for building new hostels
have vanished and the students are suffocated as if they are in concentration camps. The stipend allotted for Ph.D scholars is reduced from 12000 rupees to 8000 without any explanation. The university bus services and battery vans are no longer available. Even the professors of the University are fed up under the new regime.
Police and University authorities have attempted to crush the protests with muscle and lathis. Media intervention has saved the lives of many students now.
The issue has received national level attention thanks to the national media and regional
news channels covering the strike. Jamia Millia Islamia University, Jadavpur University
and left political parties have extended their camaraderie to the protests. MHRD has
asked Dr. Chandr Krishnamoorthy to vacate until the CBI enquiry is completed. We
can only hope that the fates on Pondicherry University students would improve.
by Anna George
For DU Times
