Pondicherry university students’ council launches indefinite strike

Puducherry: The Pondicherry University Students' Council launched an indefinite strike on Thursday demanding that the university fulfil its various demands. The members of the council, led by vice-president Shonima Nelliyat, and executive member V Bharati launched the agitation in front of the second gate of the university at 9am.
The council has been demanding that the university resume the free bus service for local students, roll back “unjustified” fee hike for all courses, implement 25% reservation for the students in the Union territory in all courses, improve the infrastructural facilities in the hostels and establish a “student-friendly” academic ambience on the campus.
The protesting students raised slogans condemning the “anti-student” attitude of the university administration.
The council launched the indefinite strike after talks with the university administration on Wednesday evening to resolve the issues failed.
The university invited the council for talks after the latter slammed it for holding talks with the representatives of the ABVP, which has a negligible presence on the campus, on Tuesday.
The council is the lone students’ body recognised by the university.
The council said the “indefinite waiting strike” would continue until the university fulfilled all its demands.
Meanwhile, the university administration blocked the wi-fi services in the campus to paralyze the council’s efforts in mobilizing support from the students for the ongoing strike.
The council condemned the administration’s high-handed action to stifle the voices of the students’ community protesting for their genuine demands.
The university, which was extending free bus services for the day scholars for the past 34 years, decided to charge Rs 8,000 per annum per student for the transportation facility from the academic year 2019-20.
The university, in March this year, also decided to hike the fees for all its programmes including MCA, MSc, M Tech, MBA, PhD and five-year integrated programmes from the academic year 2019-20.
However, it marginally revoked the hike of the fees for a few courses following strong protest from the students' council in July.