For three hours, ABVP makes life tough for V-C

PUNE, Nov 1: About 35 activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) gheraoed the Vice-Chancellor of University of Pune, Dr A...

PUNE, Nov 1: About 35 activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) gheraoed the Vice-Chancellor of University of Pune, Dr Arun Nigavekar, at his office today, demanding that a criminal complaint be filed against the persons involved in the setting of dummy question papers for the engineering (chemical) examinations held in April-May this year.

“At the end of the nearly three-hour gherao Dr Nigavekar assured us that the university would file a police complaint without disclosing the name of the alleged accused,” said ABVP member Vrunda Purandare. When contacted late evening, the officiating registrar M G Shinde said that the procedures to lodge a criminal complaint with the Chhatuhshrungi police, were on.

The report by retired judge A D Kale, appointed to enquire into the irregularities in the chemical engineering examinations, which was submitted to the Board of Examinations at its recent meeting, was not scrutinised, but kept sealed, after several members protested that the details of the report had already been leaked to the media.

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The Vice-Chancellor then announced that a new committee, consisting of four members not associated with the statutory bodies of the university, would be appointed to probe the incident and submit a report within three weeks.

The ABVP demanded immediate strict action by the university, and protested that merely naming enquiry committees was not a sufficient step, said Purandare.

Modern staff launch stir
An indefinite hunger strike by representatives of the Modern College, Ganeshkhind, of the Progressive Education Society (PES) was launched today at the main building of the University of Pune, demanding redressal of grievances related to their salaries, tenure, etc.

The university has announced in a press release, that a meeting of four representatives each of the PES and the striking staff, would be held with V Wagh, director Board of College and University Development, and N N Kadam, deputy registrar, academic section, on Tuesday, to study details of their pending dues.