Patiala’s RGNUL shut after students demand V-C’s resignation over girls’ hostel inspection, ‘sexist remarks on women’

The protests erupted late Sunday with students staging a ‘dharna’ outside the V-C’s residence located in the campus. The students alleged that V-C Singh entered the girl’s hostel for a surprise check even “reached the rooms of some girls” despite the fact that no male member is allowed to enter the rooms of the female students irrespective of how many female faculty members or guards accompany him.

This was in complete disregard of the integrity and privacy of the female students, they said, and alleged that the V-C also questioned the dressing sense of the girls thus violating their privacy.

As protests escalated, Registrar Prof Anand Pawar constituted a nine-member committee to “examine the grievances” and called the students Monday afternoon for an “amicable discussion”. However, “after no student turned up”, the administration ordered the closure of the university and asked “students to proceed” for homes. “The university will remain closed till further orders as students are not attending classes,” said Pawar.

The students, meanwhile, said they would “talk only to the V-C and won’t budge or go home until he resigns.” They told The Indian Express that Sunday’s incident was the “latest trigger” and the protest was a result of the “culmination of several incidents in the past”. They alleged that the V-C “crossed the boundary” by entering the girls’ hostel, where even their parents are not allowed without permission.

“He casually passes remarks on woman students and faculty. Once he even suggested that woman students should be taught cooking etc to prepare for married life ahead,” a protesting student alleged.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Singh justified his surprise check at the hostel.

“Girls who do not drink and smoke were constantly complaining that a some others bring such things inside the hostel. Ye sab karyakram 12 baje ke baad karte hain (They do such things after midnight). They get such things from outside on the pretext of ordering food. Ab inko kaisa roka jaaye? (How do we stop them?). Such students badly affect other well-behaved students. We had to identify such students. I went inside with female wardens and several other girl students, not alone. Well-behaved girls were themselves showing their rooms to me,” said the V-C.

He claimed that there are “only a handful of students in every batch” who are creating an issue. “Only they had issues with inspection while others were sitting in their classrooms (today). I did not make a single remark on any woman’s clothes. It is a false allegation by a handful of students,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a written representation to the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, who is also the ex-officio Chancellor of the university, the students have demanded the V-C’s resignation.

The representation, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, reads: “Due to the increasingly frequent and outrageous actions of the Hon’ble VC…causing distress to and encroaching upon the dignity and privacy of the students, the RGNUL student community finds it imperative to demand the resignation of the Hon’ble VC. His actions have not only had an adverse effect on the morale of students but also the reputation of the University.”

Listing the remarks on women allegedly allegedly passed by the V-C in the past few months, the representation read: “Agar aukaat nahi thee toh itne high-level university mein admission kyu liya. Tum jaise nalayak bacche apne parivar ki aarthik sthiti jaan ke bhi itne high-level course mein admission lene aa jate ho (If you do not have the financial capability, then why have you come to such a reputed university? You good for nothing children take admission in such courses despite being aware of the financial situation of your family)”.

They said among the “insensitive and rude remarks” allegedly made by V-C are questions about the choice of their courses at the university. “Ladki ho, domestic violence ya marriage jaisa act uthao aur aaram se ghar par course karo. Kyu itna complicated aur naya topic leti ho (You are a girl, pick a topic like domestic violence or marriage and stay back at home and pursue the course),” the V-C allegedly told some woman students, as per the representation.

“Kyun usko itna complicated kaam diya hai, ladki hain thoda aasaan sa kaam do (Why have you given such a complicated topic, she is a girl, give her an easy topic)? Tumhare maa baap tumhe paise dete hai aise kapde pehanne ke liye (Do your parents give you money to buy such clothes)?” it further read allegedly quoting the V-C.

Students further alleged in their representation that on Sunday, the V-C did not give them or the hostel warden any notification about the inspection.

“Consequently, he was not accompanied by any female faculty or guards, until at a later stage when they were informed. The Hon’ble VC entered the rooms of female students, who, being unaware of such a visit, were faced with an uncomfortable situation. For instance, one student was questioned by the VC immediately upon returning from a shower, not giving her sufficient time to dress appropriately,” further read the representation.

“Another student questioned him about the reason for his visit and the lack of notification, to which he answered that the girls were like his daughters….Additionally, he made inappropriate and insensitive remarks…ranging from comments on their manner of clothing to their personal activities…” adds the representation.

It further added that the inspection could have been conducted by a woman staff. “It is important to note that according to University Guidelines, the premises of the girls’ hostel are limited to female members of the RGNUL community. Even parents of students are denied entry,” it added.

Prof Singh, who was earlier the Dean of department of law, University of Allahabad, had taken over as RGNUL V-C in March this year. He specializes in International and Constitutional Law.

According to reports, in 2021, he was issued showcause notice at University of Allahabad for allegedly “visiting the house of a faculty member during odd hours along with students and trying to pressurise the senior professor for expediting the process of conducting the last semester exams.”

In 2019, similar protests had erupted against the RGNUL Patiala’s then-chief administrative officer for using “derogatory language against women students.”