4 Vidyapith students rusticated for using mobiles

Agitated over rustication of four students by the Gujarat Vidyapith for using mobile phones inside the varsity premises, about 250 students staged a Gandhi-style protest by sitting on dharna and spinning yarn on charkha outside the administration block on Thursday. 

The varsity has banned usage of mobile in classroom as well as hostel from this academic year and ordered for rustication of those found flouting the rule.

Recently, four students of first year of master of human resource management (MHRM) were caught with cell phones in hostel and were rusticated. “A few days back, a second year student of MHRM was caught and authorities also initiated the process to rusticate the girl.

She was two months away from completing her course and getting a job. We feel that the authorities are playing with our future in the name of strict norms,” said a student. Besides demanding relaxed norms for mobile use, the students also insisted on increase in number of leaves.

As per the norm at the varsity, students can get a maximum of 10 days’ leaves in any semester. But on students’ insistence, the Gujarat Vidyapith administration has agreed to relax this norm. About 526 students of different master degree courses signed a memorandum and submitted to the authorities to draw their attention to their problems.

“However, despite the day-long agitation, neither the registrar nor the vice-chancellor met students. The V-C ordered for food and bed to be provided to students at the protest spot if they continued it at night,” said director of MHRM Sandhya Thakkar.

Students are hoping that authorities will meet them on Friday and talk about the problems faced by students, mainly from far off villages and middle income group.