RGNUL students call off protest after compromise with V-C, creation of Student Bar Council

The students, who had launched a protest on September 22 seeking the ouster of the V-C while accusing him of “inappropriate and sexist behaviour” and “infringing on privacy of the girl students,” had also been demanding their own constitutionally elected body.

Meanwhile, after signing another agreement with the administration, students “decided to call off the protest completely” and resumed physical classes, as asked by a mediation committee that included Prof Faizan Mustafa, V-C, Chanakya National Law University, Patna.

“On October 9, we ended the hunger strike and resumed online classes but our protest seeking the resignation of the V-C and an inquiry into his misconduct was still on. Later, university issued a notice stating that online classes had been discontinued, so we resume physical classes (on October 18). On October 20, we signed another agreement with the administration and the Constitution of our new student body was approved by the V-C. The mediation committee did not pursue our demand of an inquiry against the V-C, but our other demands have mostly been met. So, we decided to completely call off the protest,” said a student representative.

An official statement released by the students reads: “…the interim student’s representatives body…entered into an agreement with the University in the presence of Prof (Dr) Mustafa…The agreement stated that the University would notify the Constitution of the RGNUL Student Bar Council, and certain other ancillary issues…This includes a request to the Chancellor to conduct an administrative, academic and financial review of the University. The student representatives are discussing the modalities of the agreement’s execution with university authorities with cautious optimism”.

Sources said other demands of the students such as change in library timings, no entry of male members in girls’ hostel, reduction in hostel fee, and no action against protesting students were accepted by the administration following which they agreed to resume online classes.

On the student’s demand of the V-C’s resignation, Prof Mustafa said, “I tried to persuade them (students) that he (V-C) is a good man coming from a traditional university with the best of intentions. (He) is taking time to adjust to the new environment of an NLU where students are far more assertive, yet much more well-behaved.”

“Ultimately, it was an academic loss of one month in the semester. I hope the new student body is elected soon and carry forward the students’ demands effectively and peacefully. A responsive administration will have a good relationship with the students as students are the primary stakeholders and universities exist for them, not for any V-C,” Prof Mustafa added.

A protest broke out on September 22 on the campus after the V-C allegedly conducted a surprise inspection in the girls’ hostel where he allegedly entering their rooms and made some remarks on their clothes. Women students said it was “a violation of their privacy as even their parents are not allowed to enter their rooms”. Students had alleged that V-C had earlier too passed “sexist and misogynist remarks”, including on their dress, choice of career, and personal activities.

The mediation committee was constituted after the approval of Justice Sheel Nagu, the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court who is also the Chancellor of the RGNUL. The committee, headed by Prof Mustafa, had Gautam Bhatia, Constitutional Law Scholar and Advocate and Dr Anindita Pujari, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, Prof (Dr) Archana Mishra, V-C, Dr BR Ambedkar National Law University, Sonipat, Haryana, and Giribala Singh, president, district consumer disputes redressal commission, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) as its members.