After protests, Poonawalla Group pulls out of controversial Pune varsity project

Officials said that a couple of months ago, a Poonawalla visited the site with his team as well as vice-chancellor Suresh Gosavi and former V-C Nitin Karmalkar. They explored various spots on the campus. Subsequently, a group of university officials, including management council members and exam department officers, visited the Serum Institute to meet with Poonawalla, to discuss this project.

“We strongly oppose this project for several reasons. The land in question is densely forested, home to thousands of trees, and is a vital green space for the university. Additionally, its close proximity to the Dr Ambedkar statue raises concerns among students that the statue might be shifted or even demolished in future to accommodate this project,” said Rahul Sasane, a member of Vidyapeeth Viyarthi Sangharsh Kruti Samiti, a student group.

Sasane also highlighted the troubling aspects of the proposed plan. “The proposed plan to build the vintage car museum and convention centre on this site is troubling. While we understand the need for research facilities, will it even be accessible to ordinary students? There is a fear that once constructed, the area will be privatised, restricting student access, similar to the situation with the IUCAA lab, which has private security and limited entry.”

Many believe the university should focus on more pressing needs such as building more hostels and renovating existing buildings. The campus is known for its lush greenery, which provides a serene environment to students and faculty. The potential loss of this green space has raised an alarm among environmental advocates and students alike.

Sagar Vaidya, a management council member who opposes the project, said, “The opposition to the convention centre began due to the questionable actions of the V-C. While the university had the option to utilise CSR funds from Poonawalla for essential needs like hostels, labs and equipment, the focus suddenly shifted to a convention centre. From the start, the V-C’s approach and urgency he showed did not align with the best interests of the university.”

“What began as a Rs 100-crore project escalated to Rs 200 crore as we continued to protest. Many conditions tied to this project were not favourable to the university, and we pushed for changes. However, the V-C later refused to provide the original draft of the agreement, and when we intensified our protests, he gave evasive responses, sidestepping critical questions.”

An official spokesperson from Cyrus Poonawalla Group said, “We initially considered this project with the intention of contributing positively to the community. However, after carefully evaluating ecological impact and concerns, we have re-assessed our position and are no longer interested in moving forward with it.”

When contacted, V-C of SPPU, Suresh Gosavi, refused to comment on the issue.