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Journalism of Courage
Students of Army Law College in have continued their protest against the principal and registrar for the eleventh day on Monday by refusing to enter classrooms. Lectures were conducted by professors in open spaces in the college building. The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), to which the college is affiliated, has written to the principal on Thursday last week demanding a report on the protest and its resolution.
A student of the college told The Indian Express, “We are continuing the protest on the eleventh day now. We have refused to enter the classroom, but since students were missing out on academics, we are sitting outside the classrooms and the professors are conducting the classes there. All 377 students are against her, we don’t know why the administration is supporting the principal.”
“We have no other choice left to continue this protest. Our primary demand is the principal resigns and that has not been met yet. If we stop now she has a vindictive nature and we don’t want to fall prey to it,” he added. Visuals of students marching on campus the previous night have also appeared on social media.
The students have alleged that after Dr Madhushree Joshi and Col Suneel Mann took over as Principal and Registrar respectively, the college’s environment became hostile, unprofessional, and oppressive. They allege that faculty members are being assigned subjects outside their core expertise, academic timetables are frequently changed with little to no prior notice, implementing academic policies that hinder students’ mental health, dissolution of the Student Council, and other issues.
Pro Vice Chancellor of SPPU Parag Kalkar told The Indian Express, “We have been informed by the students about the issue last week.
Accordingly we have sent a letter to the principal to resolve the issue through email. The letter was sent on Thursday and the college was to respond immediately. Today is the first working day after Thursday. After we receive the report, we will take an appropriate decision according to the University Act. If the issue does not get resolved at the college level then the University will get involved.”
Joshi had previously denied the allegations against her and said the “protest was neither expected nor required, as the ALC office is always open for discussion”, after the administration called in the police on campus on August 8 when the protest began. Joshi or Col. Mann could not be reached for a comment on Monday.
