Month after scuffle on campus, UP Governor appoints new V-C for Gorakhpur University

The ABVP workers had alleged corruption in the appointment of faculty members at the university during the tenure of current VC Rajesh Singh whose term ends on September 4.

Faced with controversies, Singh did not get the extension as many were expecting.

A professor at Lucknow University’s physics department, Poonam Tandon has served as the Dean of Students Welfare and has over 30 years of teaching experience.

Last month, a video surfaced in which VC Rajesh Singh and the officiating registrar were seen being manhandled by a group of students reportedly associated with the ABVP. The next day, the police arrested eight persons who were sent to judicial custody.

The students were protesting over various issues such as fee hike in some courses and poor facilities on the campus, including hostels, and wanted to meet the VC.

The students tried to block the way of the VC when he along with other administration tried to leave the campus. This led to a scuffle between the students, university office-bearers and police personnel present there.

ABVP’s Saurabh Gaur said, “We are confident that with Rakesh Singh leaving, the university will be restored to its glory as the atmosphere of fear will be gone. We did not have a fight with any individual but our fight was with the ongoing corruption that flourished during the current VC’s tenure.