DU students launch indefinite hunger strike

NEW DELHI: Protesting the reduction of seats at MPhil and PhD levels, research students of Sanskrit department of Delhi University have launched an indefinite strike.

The students, under the banner of Delhi University Research Scholar Organisation, are staging a 'dhrana' at the department for the last five days. They went on an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday.

"We are demanding the university to increase the seats at MPhil and PhD levels which have been curtailed by the department," said research student from the Sanskrit department.

The students claimed that there used to 40-50 MPhil seats in the department which have been reduced to 25 by the authorities.

Apart from increase in seats, the students are also demanding to fill the vacant teaching seats in the department, and regularise the distribution of UGC fellowship to the scholars, which they claim is not being given "properly".