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ShareBangalore: The controversy over the appointment of two new registrars to the Bangalore University continues. The humiliation meted out to the two by vice-chancellor N Prabhu Dev on Monday, after he refused to allow them to assume office, had caused students to stage a spontaneous protest on Tuesday.
On Wednesday too, while the new appointees, MG Krishnan and MS Talwar went about their regular schedule, students protested in front of the vice-chancellor's office at the Jnanabharati campus.
Talwar was seen participating in a teacher orientation programme organised by Academic Staff College, of which he is the director; Krishnan was busy as usual at the political science department.
Students, however, stayed out of classes and sat in protest in front of the vice-chancellor's office. In effect, the functioning of the university on Wednesday too was disrupted. "We will bunk classes and stage protests till we see the V-C. He has to explain why he is doing this," said one of the protesting students.
"We hold our professors in high regard, and we are not here to create a scene. We need only to see the vice-chancellor and have him explain why he is doing this," says Ravi, a student of political science. Nearly 1,500 students gathered near the V-C's office.
Sources from the department said, "Around 4.30pm on Wednesday, both registrars got a call from the higher education department and were asked to meet the principal secretary.
Following that meeting, they were asked to take charge on Thursday morning."
"We were asked to take charge. Puttaraju (who has been appointed registrar in-charge) agreed to hand over charge on Thursday morning," said MG Krishnan and MS Talwar.
Sources indicated that Puttaraju had given it in writing that he would hand over charge.
State higher education minister Aravind Limbavali said, "The process should not be obstructed. If the situation continues this way, then I will ask that a criminal complaint be filed against the registrar in-charge."
There are indications that the impasse will end by Thursday. However, vice-chancellor Prabhu Dev is away in New Delhi, attending a conference. He is expected back in the city on Friday.
Puttaraju, who had been appointed by the V-C as registrar in-charge, had agreed to hand over charge. However, by agreeing to step down, Puttaraju has escaped getting suspended -- on Tuesday, the state higher education department had sent a file pertaining to his suspension to the minister.
At 5.22 pm on Wednesday, DNA received a press note signed by Puttaraju, registrar of Bangalore University. The note offered a detailed defence of vice-chancellor Prabhu Dev, claiming that allegations that he was promoting his own caste in the recruitment of registrars were baseless.
