KU students clash over PhD admissions

Hanamkonda: The ongoing agitation by a section of students over alleged irregularities in Ph D admissions in Kakatiya University has taken a murky turn as two student groups clashed on the campus. On Friday, some student unions that were demanding the cancellation of Ph D admissions have called for university bandh. The members of the unions shouting slogans moved from department to department enforcing the bandh.    

The protestors were met with opposition when they reached the university engineering college. The engineering students refused to boycott the classes, saying their academic syllabus has to be completed in time. The arguments between the two groups turned into a brawl wherein a few protestors and engineering students suffered minor injuries.

However, the leaders of PDSU, TRSV and others alleged that the engineering college principal Prof P Malla Reddy and others instigated the students to attack the protestors. ‘It was wrong to provoke students to attack us though we protested peacefully,’ said PDSU activists D Sampath and B Upender.  

The PDSU called for university bandh on Saturday protesting against the attacks, demanding action against the engineering college authorities and cancellation of the Ph D admissions.  Meanwhile, MLAs D Vinay Bhasker and A Ramesh along with the State Handicapped Development Corporation Chairman K Vasudeva Reddy have called on Vice-Chancellor Prof R Sayanna and held talks with him.

They too have paraphrased what the protestors have said and wanted immediate suspension of the engineering college principal. The MLAs reportedly told the VC to add 25 marks to students, who participated in the statehood agitation, to secure Ph D admission. However, the university students and some faculty members have expressed serious objection to the political interference in academic affairs of the university.

“First of all, it was not proper to support the protestors, who were making false allegations; secondly seeking 25 marks for participation in the statehood agitation was against UGC guidelines,” a faculty member told The Hans India on condition of anonymity.

On the other hand, student activists A Karthik of NSUI, D Saraiah of PDSU, Manda Bhasker of MSF and others have called on district Congress president N Rajender Reddy and submitted a petition seeking support to their agitation. It was learnt that Deputy Chief Minister K Srihari was going to summon the VC soon for an update on the affairs at KU.