Stories from and about the National Institutes of Technology across the country. Follow this thread for news articles, views and inputs about NITs.
Indefinite strike causes definite loss for students of MANIT, Bhopal
This week the campus of Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal saw deserted classrooms with untouched chalks and dusters. Students of MANIT have been on a casual schedule with no lectures. This schedule is expected to continue till at least January 15, 2016. The reason for this is the on-going faculty strike of MANIT. This indefinite strike will continue until the teacher's long pending demand for promotion is accepted. The demand is based on a policy of Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) formulated by MHRD in 2013.
When PaGaLGuY spoke to a student of MANIT he said, "I came to the college on Thursday after the college vacation, but to my surprise I came to know that we have no lectures." The students of MANIT were puzzled at the cancellation of lectures because there has been no formal communication, about the on-going teachers strike, by the MANIT administration. Another student said, "We came to know about the strike only from the media. Until then we were clueless about why our lectures were cancelled."
"As per the old promotion policy, we were eligible for promotion and increment in Annual Grade Pay. However, none of the promotions were implemented. Now they are implementing the new policy, which negates the old policy, due to which most of us will not be eligible for promotions." said a faculty member of MANIT.
With over 100 faculty members being affected with the new promotion policy, it is only the Department of Architecture that is not on strike.
Many students who hail from outside Bhopal have extended their holidays till their regular class will resume. The disciplinary rules of the MANIT's hostel have also ceased to exist, as the wardens too have joined the strike. This puts a question on the MANIT administration's responsibility towards the hostel students. This strike has also put the students' safety at risk, because the students have no disciplinary binding on them.
It is the placement season in the campus, and despite no show by the faculty members, the students are continuing to prepare for their interviews. The third-year students have been having mock interviews conducted by the fourth-year students.
To understand the situation, the Students Council has requested the Director to conduct a meeting with the students. This indefinite strike of the faculty members is definitely a loss for the students in the long-term, as it will delay the completion of their syllabus.
Government initiatives like 'Startup India' and 'Make in India'
have given wings to budding entrepreneurs in the country. These initiatives
have encouraged many engineering students to opt for higher studies and
start-ups over job opportunities. NIT Silchar, to promote student developments
in the field of innovation, had established a Research Promotion Cell (RPC) in
the year 2013.
Students at NITS receive funds for consumables, labour, travel, etc. pertaining to their research work from the RPC. Faculty may help them with their research, but the idea of the project belongs solely to the student. Dr Brinda Bhowmick, in-charge of the RPC said, "We provide advances to the students who work on outcome-based projects. A budget is allotted keeping in view the credibility of the research. Also, progress of the research is reviewed every six months, which helps us take a call on the subsequent assistance sought by them."
Before getting the funds sanctioned, the student needs to set a deadline for the project and explain its applicability to the NITS authorities. Kanchan Kumar, a fourth year student of Electrical Engineering said, "I was clueless about starting my own project in the first year. However, a conference organised by the RPC to help student innovation motivated me to invest more time in research." Kumar has received Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively from the RPC for two research projects. The projects are reviewed by the student's guide, the coordinator of the concerned department, student members, and faculties from other departments before getting the final nod for funds.
There are instances where students failed to get the required funds for their research studies. "We have students who have succeeded in registering their own patents with the financial aid provided by the RPC. But when students ask for subsequent funds without showing convincing progress in their projects, we have to deny the funding. However, we ensure that proper guidance is provided to them by the faculty to advance the research," said Dr Bhowmick.
The research projects need not necessarily be a part of the students' academics. However, when the student graduates from NITS, the components and devices utilised in the project need to be submitted to the RPC. Also, there are no provisions laid by the institute to repay the money utilised by the students in their research work.
With institute initiatives like Research Promotion Cell being the backbone of students' innovations, the success of a nationwide campaign like 'Make in India' can be classified as an attainable feat.
A boundary wall - the only completed construction at the permanent campus of NIT Uttarakhand
National Institute of Technology(NIT) Uttarakhand, is currently functioning from a transit campus in Khallu. It was expected to relocate to a permanent campus by the year 2017. However, given the list of issues posing the institute, construction for the permanent campus will begin only in 2017. The completion of work is expected to take another 3 to 4 years.
NIT Uttarakhand is among the new NITs sanctioned by the Government of India in the year 2009, as a part of the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The institute had started functioning out of a transit campus in the year 2010. Unfortunately for this institution, hurdles after hurdles have been blocking the beginning of construction of the new campus.
The major issue faced by the institute was the land allocated for the new campus in Sumari, Srinagar Garhwal region. It is a part of Uttarakhand's forest area. NIT Uttarakhand had a difficult time in getting a clearance to cut down the trees spread over the allotted 385 acres of land. "We finally received the clearance a few months ago. Besides signing an undertaking with the state authorities to replant the trees, we have also deposited an amount of Rs 1,50,000 as surety," said Col. Sukhpal Singh, Registrar of NIT Uttarakhand.
The tree clearing process which has just begun, will then give way to the soil testing and rock assessment processes, all of which will again require a clearance by Government Officials. NIT Uttarakhand expects even further delays in its construction plans. "Given that this is a hilly terrain, these tests are of great importance. Once all these approvals are obtained, further plans will be implemented." added Col. Singh.
The only bit of construction at the permanent campus site is the fence that demarcates the boundary of the assigned land from the rest. So far this is just the first step that has been cleared by NIT Uttarakhand. They have a long way to go until the permanent campus is fully operational.
Third-year MANIT student commits suicide in hostel room
A third-year Mechanical Engineering student at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal committed suicide on Wednesday, February 10, 2016.
When Pallavi's friends returned to the hostel after their morning lectures at 11 a.m., they found Malla Venkata Sai Pallavi hanging from the ceiling fan in her hostel room. The hostel authorities called the local police who then rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead.
Pallavi's friend said, "She left a suicide note stating that she was unable to concentrate on her studies, and had committed many mistakes. She also mentioned in the suicide note that because of her mistakes she was unworthy to her parents and friends."
The police has registered a case under section 174 of Criminal Procedure Court, and have started the investigations. A police official said, "Apart from the suicide note, we also found that she had visited a hospital two days before the incident."
Pallavi's friends told PaGaLGuY that she was a sincere student and had maintained a 6 point CGPA (Cumulative Grade Points Average) until now. They added, "Her father along with a friend came to Bhopal today, February 11, 2016, morning. Her mother hasn't been informed about the suicide since she is a BP patient. Her father is taking the body to Vishakhapatnam by air today itself."
The deceased used to live in Kalpana Chawla, Hostel no 7 at MANIT, and was a native of Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
JEE 2016 office sending text messages to applicants whose documents sport errors
If you have committed any errors while filling the JEE 2016 application form, be ready to receive a message from Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) authorities asking for changes.
JEE authorities have started checking applications and begun to send text messages to those which seem like errors. The errors are being primarily found in the Photograph, Thumb Impression, and Signature areas.
JK Yadav, Deputy Secretary, JEE Unit confirmed this development to PaGaLGuY. He said:
"We are verifying all the 2016 JEE applications. Those with discrepancies are being sent text messages by the JEE office." Those who have received such messages will need their 'Application Number' and 'Password' to login to make the necessary changes.
Please note that this facility has been extended only to those who receive messages from the JEE office and not all applicants. Those not sure of their documents can visit the JEE website anyway and cross check.
If an applicant is welcomed with this message -
'No discrepancy found in your uploaded Photograph, Thumb Impression and Signature. You are not allowed to Login through this window,' - it means that their uploaded documents have been accepted by the JEE Unit.
JEE is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) every year and is the gateway to IITs, NITs, IIITs, government and private engineering colleges in the country. For 2016, JEE Main offline examination will be conducted on April 3, and online examination on April 9 and 10.
NIT Silchar changes the face of library in India, builds a world-class archive
Which university or educational institute in India boasts of a four storey, exclusive library building, flush with carpeted floors, lounge corners and a coffee shop? One that flaunts a spiral staircase right in the centre of the building and huge glass windows on the sides that overlook miles of greenery. And to think of it, all this is up and about to happen at NIT Silchar, a quaint little city in the heart of Assam.
The Central library at NIT Silchar was built in the year 1977 to provide academic assistance to the students of the institute. However, in recent years, the congested carpet area and lack of technological aid has made it increasingly difficult for the institute officials to manage the books and documents. To overcome these limitations of the existing library, NIT Silchar has entered into a collaborative MoU with the University of Illinois, USA to build a 'State-of-the-Art' library. Dr Kishor Satpathy, the librarian at NIT Silchar, says, "The old library building was constructed to accommodate 1000 people. With a gradual increase in the student intake over the years at NITS, the new library is built to cater services to more than 4500 people. Also, the new library will be technologically advanced to ease the administration processes."
The new library building, built at a cost of Rs 44 crores, is spread over an area of 90,000 sq. ft. The four storey cylindrical building is designed in such a way that a common passage connects all the floors. This arrangement allows a single person to monitor the activities on multiple floors simultaneously, reducing the cost of employing more staff to volunteer the building. 90% of the architectural masterpiece is made up of anti-reflective glass which prevents direct sunlight and heat. However, the glass does allow sunlight to transmit enough to illuminate the library, allowing readers to read in natural light and cutting electricity cost during the day. The one-of-its-kind library boasts of a refreshment lounge for readers to socialise and relax. "We don't want the library to be a static place. We want to make reading an affair to rejoice," said Satpathy. Besides this, the building also has amenities like a conference room, group discussion rooms, a terrace garden library and a digital lab comprising of computers with Internet facility. The library will provide free services to the NITS students on producing their institute identity cards.
Students from other institutes may get free access to the library to read, but they will not be issued any material from the library. Moreover, under the facility of 'loanable technology', the institute plans to not only provide reading materials but also technological aid to underprivileged students to access the online study material. The institute, in its proposal, also claims to provide reading resources to the disabled visiting the library.
Yashksh Gaurav, a third year electrical engineering student said, "The institute faces many constraints because of its remote location. By signing an MoU with the University of Illinois, USA, NIT Silchar has enabled the students an access to a hub of books and journals, which otherwise was not possible. The architecture and amenities at the new library also makes it an interesting place to visit."
Dr Satpathy further said, 'Our library has membership with renowned libraries across the world. Under its inter-library rule, we can request another library for a book/journal if it is really important for the student."
The library, built to conform to the 'Look East' policy of the Indian government, is expected to be inaugurated in the convocation ceremony at NIT Silchar in June 2016. As travellers from Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan frequently visit Silchar, which is also the gateway to states like Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura, this library may serve as a knowledge centre to students in the nearby institutes.
Stalemate at SVNIT, Surat: Employee protests see no end
The employee association at Sardar Vallabhbhai Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat, has been organising dharnas during their recess time since January 24. The employees carry out rallies in the campus and hold placards displaying their demands in front of the administrative building. 300 employees of the institute shout slogans everyday, in order to have their demands of minimum wages fulfilled by the SVNIT management.
"The institute isn't paying its employees minimum wages. In addition to this, we are deprived of basic benefits like provident fund, employee identity card, scheduled leaves, post-retirement benefits, etc. It's been almost a month since the protests, but we've received no response from the management yet," said Ramesh Sarasia, President of the employee association. He also claimed that the association has complained to several authorities ranging from the regional labour officers to the Ministry of HRD, but to no avail. When PaGaLGuY spoke to Dr. Vakharia, Registrar of SVNIT, he explained, "Our institute was converted from a Regional Engineering College (REC) into SVNIT in 2002. Employee benefits are provided to the workers according to the rules laid by the State Government. However, employees are demanding benefits applicable as per the rules of the Central Government, which has a higher minimum pay." He denied the institute's role in repudiating the employees of their benefits. "This is a policy matter, which is the lookout of the MHRD," he added.
"As of now, the protests don't disrupt student activities as they are held at a fair distance from the academic building of the campus," said Raushan Kumar, a second year Electric Engineering student at SVNIT. However, sighting a cold response from the management, Sarasia has threatened an employee strike. "To ensure that our actions do not affect the students' academics, we do not protest during the lectures. However, we're planning to go on an employee strike if our demands are not promptly met with," said he.
Students can now download their Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2016 admit card from the JEE website. Aspirants will require their application number and password to download it.
However, if applicants have not updated their percentage of marks in class 12/qualifying examination, or roll no of class 12/qualifying examination, they won't be able to download it. Applicants will have to update the information on the first page of their account as they log in on the JEE website. After submitting the required information, applicants can review their changes, and save.
If applicants find are any problems with regards to their admit cards, they can call on the helpline numbers given on the JEE website.
JEE is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) every year and is the gateway to IITs, NITs, IIITs, government and private engineering colleges in the country. For 2016, JEE Main offline examination will be conducted on April 3, and online examination on April 9 and 10.
Students of National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NITK) are helping Forest Department of Karnataka set up a communication network using Ham radio system in Kudremukh National Park.
Kudremukh National Park spread over an area of 1392 Sq. Kms in southern Karnataka is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The communication network earlier in place, are broken due to natural disasters, Naxal and poaching activity. Professor K V Gangadharan, Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, said, "We are helping the forest department as part of technical outreach activity. Students of NITK are helping setup the network. They are training forest guards, who are foot soldiers, get acquainted with the technology." NITK has also roped in local amateur radio clubs (Ham radio) in and around Manipal, Udupi and Mangalore to ensure a larger support system.
On being asked about choice of Ham radio as a communication mode, Prof Gangadharan said, "Ham radio is the best means of communication to rely on in case of natural calamities. We are also installing 'repeaters'." Repeaters allow transmission of data over hundreds of kilometres with minimum infrastructure. Communication can be established through hand-held transceivers.
Maria Christu Raja D, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kudremukh Forest Division said, "Protecting a large area of the national park has been a challenge and NITK's initiative will help us immensely."
NIT Srinagar protesting students hope to meet Smriti Irani again
Today, April 16, student representatives from National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (NITS) are in New Delhi to meet Smriti Irani, Minister for Human Resource Development. The students are meeting Irani with a new set of demands. This comes after Irani dismissed their main plea for shifting the institute campus out of the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday, April 13. However, till late evening the meeting did not take place.
PaGaLGuY spoke to Rajat Srivastav, a fourth-year student of NITS who is part of the student delegation in New Delhi to meet Irani. Rajat said, "We are discriminated against on a daily basis. To live under constant threat to our life is unbearable, so we decided to pursue this matter with the Ministry."
The students have put forward the following demands:
1. Hoisting the National Flag inside the campus:
2. Creation of a student council which can act as a bridge between students and the institute administration. There is no functional student council in NITS currently. Some NITs like the one at Durgapur in West Bengal has one.
3. 50 per cent of the staff- teaching as well as non-teaching should be recruited from all over the country. At present, college administration has staff who are locals.
4. A permanent camp of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) stationed inside the campus to deal with any future exigencies.
Another group of students has stayed put at Jantar Mantar protesting and are trying to gather support for their cause. A third-year student, who is part of the protests, on condition of anonymity said, "The protest did receive a good response initially. However, our parents are now worried about us and want us to return home from Jantar Mantar. Some of us are going back home."
With no written assurance coming from the Ministry, the protesting students have been left in a limbo.
Discrimination charge is baseless, say NIT students
If cricket is the force that binds Indians, it is also the game that divides us as it happened at the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, after India's loss to West Indies in the World T20 semi-finals. It was indeed a heartbreaking news for cricket-crazy fans but not even a die-hard lover of the game would have imagined that it would snowball into such a crisis on the institute's campus.
The match result exposed the fault lines as they exist on NIT's Srinagar campus, bringing to fore the issue of discrimination between residents and non-residents of the state. It is a topic of hot discussion on the campus and away from the campus. A section of students has gone on to say about how the non-residents of Kashmir live under constant threat, and how the local students of the state harbour anti-national feelings.
But does such a hostility exist? PaGaLGuY spoke to students, some of whom are alumni and a few who are currently pursuing their degree in NIT Srinagar, to ascertain the truth. No doubt, the issue has a lot of steam but little substance said former and current students. They added the crisis has been politicised to benefit only a handful.
"The allegations are entirely baseless and only a politicised issue. The issue of discrimination between locals and non-locals didn't exist at the institute while I was pursuing my degree. Students celebrated after a cricket match, but it was never taken personally by anyone. The next day, India's win or loss didn't even matter to us. Being a Kashmiri, I can proudly say that we mingled with everyone, had a fantastic time in college, and the thoughts about local and non-local never crossed mine or anyone's mind," said Aamir, who passed out of NIT-S last year.
The students from the state account for only 20-30% of total hostel residents. "Most of us are day scholars at NIT-S; there are only a few Kashmiri students who reside in the hostel. How can this then turn into such a big deal that the so-called students hailing from outside Kashmir had to approach the MHRD?" said another student, who is currently pursuing his first year M.Tech at the Institute. He further questioned how a cricket match could lead to demands for hoisting national flag, change in faculty and allegations of discrimination on the campus.
Some Kashmiri students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, mentioned to PaGaLGuY that when they go to other cities to pursue higher education, they too face hostilities. "It can't be a reason for us to demand that the institute be shifted out of the state. These students at Jantar Mantar didn't appear for their exams either. The institute will conduct another round of examination in the month of May for them. Does this still qualify for discrimination and protests?" said a second-year B.Tech student at NIT-S.
PaGaLGuY also spoke to NITS Director, Prof. Rajat Gupta, who said that the institute has called back all the students who haven't appeared for their exams. "Another round of exam will be held in May. We will ensure that the students don't suffer academically." added Prof. Gupta.
By pitching concerns of discrimination on the basis of a cricket match, students are being unreasonable in their demand. Despite the administration obliging them by conducting the examination again and the Ministry of Human Resource Department promising of external evaluators, is it still fair on the part of some students to make such allegations? Certainly not.
A number of first year engineering students of National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (NIT-S), have attempted the JEE Main 2016 exam aiming for a better Institute. NIT-S, has been ranked 67 in the NIRF list of Top 100 Engineering Institutes in India. The reason for these non-local students to seek a different institute is not the Infrastructural or the academic capabilities of NIT-S, but instead is the insecure atmosphere shaped by the anti-National elements in Srinagar.
One of the first year students of NIT-S on the condition of anonymity spoke to PaGaLGuY, "Personally, looking at the issues that I have experienced over the year of my stay at NIT-S I want to leave this institute. I am scared taking my security into consideration. Post April 14 incident, my parents don't want me to go back to the institute unless the Government guarantees any security provisions for non- local students"
The recent tiff between the local and the non-local students of National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (NIT S), may have possibly been triggered due to a cricket match. But this has not been the solitary incident when agitating forces from both the sides have tried to ventilate their aggression. The other not so viral incidents at NIT-S have also worsen the situation further and has compelled the outstation students to take JEE.
In November 2015, NIT Durgapur was in news due to the death of a student, Prosenjit Sen (will link article), NITD students protested against the alleged apathy shown by the college administration which led to the Prosenjit's death. Their demands included better infrastructure especially, medical facilities. After 5 months, NIT Durgapur's Medical Unit has undergone a transformation. PaGaLGuY brings to you a glimpse of the renovated MU.
Students outside the Medical Unit in the month of November, in 2015. The Medical Unit didn't have an ambulance, or proper facilities with regards to equipments. Students are seen putting up banners shaming the apathetic conditions.
Currently, the MU has an on call ambulance and special wards for emergency, eye OPD, Dental OPD, a general ward.
Planting Hope: Be the change to see change around you
"Kindness in Words creates Confidence.
Kindness in Thinking creates Profoundness.
Kindness in Giving creates Love."
Tushar Jain, a little boy from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, was never a dreamer. He was the one who turned his dream into a reality. He did simple things, things which were right, things he believed in and in doing that, he changed the world.
After graduating from NIT, Jalandhar in 2000, Tushar came back to his alma mater in 2015 after a 5-year stint at the University of Idaho, as an ad hoc professor in the Department of Biotechnology. The last time he was in the college, he had his name carved in the roll of honour and this time around, he got his name etched in the hearts of students.
Q. Well, let me first congratulate you on all the hard work that you have done for the botanical garden. Can you tell us more about this project? A. I always believed in giving back to the society, to the college that gave us so much. That was the main reason I came back to teach here.
The unused land in front of the department of biotechnology bugged me a lot. I decided to turn it into something beautiful. I started ploughing the land with the help of some staff. Soon we started growing plants on this land to add to its aesthetics and the medicinal plants followed.
Q. The students also have an instrumental role to play in this project. How did it happen?
A. I encouraged the students to take care of the plants to give back to the environment and also started an assignment-cum-task of planting trees by students along with learning about them.
Q. What kind of plants grow in the garden?
A. Well, we started out with just some garden variety flowers but now we have an enviable collection of medicinal plants.
Q. You often talk about how you want to give back to the society. Please tell us more.
A. I always believed in it. We should be thankful for all that we have and try and give back when we can. My time in the US also taught me about being true to my beliefs and backing them with my actions.
Q. What were the obstacles that you faced in realising this dream?
A. The judgemental people around me were a nuisance. They didn't understand what I was doing, more importantly, why I was doing and they made it difficult for me. Their work was commenting on my crusade. While they created problems, I planted trees, one, two and many.
Q. How have things changed after the botanical garden came into being?
A. I have not just changed some acres of land but also the hearts of people. After the initial bout of suspicion, people have been more forthcoming and are trying to help in whatever way they can.
Q. What is the future for your little garden project?
A. Well, I am sure it's quite promising. The students and teachers are involved in it. Their active participation will surely take it to greater heights.
Q. Is this a one-time thing or do you have more such initiatives lined up?
A. Well, there are two more projects I am involved with currently. I am collaborating with colleagues to bring cycles-on-rent for students and teachers on the campus.
Also, there is another one where we will adopt a child and help him throughout his education, not just with finance but also with counsel. These projects are still in infancy stages but I am looking forward to them with hope.
We wish Jain all the best in his efforts and hope that there are much more such people who can be the change they want to see in the world.
Two groups of students clash at University in Rajouri, 12 injured
The simmering tension at NIT, Srinagar, has now spilled over to Baba Ghulam Shah Badhshah University in Rajouri, where a clash between two groups of students erupted on Monday. This time around, it was a minor scuffle between a student belonging to Rajouri district and a student belonging to Kashmir Valley over attending classes that turned violent and left 12 students injured. Angry protesters torched vandalised property and torched several vehicles.
PaGaLGuY spoke to the Dean of academic affairs, Prof. Kaul, who said that it was a trivial issue. "Some students proposed to bunk classes. The other group wasn't against it. The group of students belonging to Rajouri district clashed with the other group of students from the Valley over this issue. We scheduled lectures today, but the attendance was zero. The situation is under control, but it is still volatile."
It is the second such incident in the state within a span of a few weeks.
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NIT Srinagar students want PM or HRD Minister to hoist Tricolour on Campus
The agitating students of the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, who have been camping in New Delhi, heaved a sigh of relief after meeting the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) officials on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.
In a letter addressed to the HRD Minister, the students have presented a set of 19 new demands which includes a special request to the Prime Minister and HRD Minister to hoist the Tricolour in the Institute's campus.
The students have been camping in the Capital since April 15.
The new list of demands also includes four demands that they had raised earlier that includes the reshuffling of the college administration, formation of an online special grievance redressal mechanism, celebration of all national festivals on the campus, and payment of medical claims of injured students by the college authorities. You can read them here (link to article).
In their demand listed in no. 10 of the letter, the students have invited Prime Minister or Minister for HRD to hoist the National Flag at the NIT, Srinagar, campus to instil a sense of security among outstation students.
Prof. Rajat Gupta, Director, NIT Srinagar, also attended the meeting.
Students also released the minutes of the meeting about the decisions that were taken in the meeting with MHRD officials. MHRD officials have assured students that their demands will be met soon.
It remains to be seen how and when these decisions are implemented and if they succeed in bringing any relief to the agitating students.
After NIT Srinagar row, students of other Institutes of National Importance stage protest.
As classes resume, protesting students back in NIT Srinagar
Students from NIT Srinagar who were in New Delhi, since April 14, to meet Smriti Irani, Minister for Human Resource Development, have returned to NIT Srinagar as their classes resumed today, April 25. About 200 students, mostly final year students, decided to attend classes after their 'partial victory'.
PaGaLGuY spoke to Rajat Srivastava, a final year student, who was in Delhi to meet Irani. Rajat said, "Out of the 19, 12 demands have been met. This is a partial victory for us. The remaining seven require some paperwork and will take time. So, we decided to go back and attend our classes."
Initially students' opinion was divided about continuing the stir in Delhi or continuing it from the NIT. Some junior students who were part of the delegation to meet Irani felt that going back to NIT may look like they have conceded defeat.
Rajat added, "We took this decision as we did not want our academics to suffer. We will continue to protest until all our demands are met. "