Students of the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, are protesting against vice-chancellor Jai Shankar Singh after he allegedly entered some rooms in the girls' hostel without notice and inquired about their "short outfits".
The varsity authorities on Monday closed the institution temporarily as the students’ protest continued for the second day demanding the resignation of the VC. The students said that the VC’s action on Sunday was a tipping point after a series of anti-student measures.
The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) is one of the top law schools in India and is funded by the Punjab government. According to the students, Singh asked the students the reasons for wearing shorts. They said the VC violated the privacy of the girls by entering without prior consent from them.
“The VC asked the students, 'Aapne shorts kyun pehni hai?' This is a complete violation of the privacy of female students. We are concerned about our privacy and security on the campus,” said a protesting student. She said that even parents are not allowed in the hostels without the consent of the students.
The university does not have a student union. After the incident, students gathered in front of the VC's residence on Sunday evening and started sloganeering. As the protest continued, the administration called police on the campus in the night.
“Our protest is peaceful. There was no need to call the police. But the administration wanted to threaten us by calling the police,” said another student.
The VC met the students on Monday afternoon. They demanded his resignation and a fair probe into the incident. They also demanded a student union to take up their issues.
“The VC went inside (his house) after listening to our demands. The university has issued a notice of closure. They want to control the protest by closing the university for a few days. We have decided to continue the protest till the VC steps down,” a student said.
The students said the VC had introduced restrictive orders on the campus like not allowing students to go out of the compound before 4pm. They alleged that the VC has a habit of giving unsolicited advice to students on which area of law they should focus on and which books to read.
“The VC discourages students from focusing on corporate law. If any student asks for such advice, it is fine. But he advises before being asked,” said a student.