Govt report scathing on its role in campus violence, VIT Bhopal responds: ‘Fake news to blame’

“However, students in Boys Hostel 1, 6 and 8 still went on with their protest, perhaps being instigated by some persons. Therefore, the management had to take steps to control the situation by informing the police administration to ensure safety and security,” the reply stated.

A government-ordered committee had been formed to look into the violence, where around 4,000 students went on a rampage on the varsity premises.

The report alleged that the administration attempted to cover up a jaundice outbreak on campus.

The university responded that in cases of jaundice, the medical advice is that a patient should take rest and a regulated diet. “The respective parents were informed of the medical situation, and it is on their specific request that the students were sent home. This was also to help them to regulate the food intake as per medical requirement and individual taste, the scope of which is limited in a hostel,” the reply stated.

The government probe also found that the administration had turned the campus into a “fortress-like structure”, that there was an “atmosphere of fear-based discipline”, and that the food and water facilities left a lot to be desired.

The university has denied allegations regarding authoritarian attitude and harassment of students.

“The allegations of a fearful atmosphere are unfounded. The university enjoys a peaceful, cordial and harmonious relationship with the students. Other than regular academic activities, the university conducts various extracurricular activities, sports and games and cultural activities throughout the year,” the reply stated.

The university claimed that students are debarred based on their attendance (minimum 75%) in that particular subject. “In some genuine cases, relaxation is provided by the University. As regards ID cards, there is no threat of confiscation as alleged. In order to ascertain the correct identity of a student involved in any disciplinary activities, the ID card is being checked and returned forthwith,” the reply stated.

The state’s higher education minister, Inder Singh Parmar, had assured an investigation following allegations that the district’s chief medical health officer was detained at the university gates for two hours.

The university called the allegation misleading.

“In fact, if we receive prior information regarding such visits, a proper welcome is accorded by the security. The assistants of the CMHO were at the gate for about 10 minutes waiting for the CMHO to arrive, and our security was coordinating with our medical team and hostel authorities to facilitate smooth passage. In fact, during our discussion with the inspection team in the presence of the CMHO, the latter stated that the officials were on the campus for nearly two hours for inspection and not waiting time,” the reply stated.

On the allegations of poor quality food at the hostels, the university said the food arrangements for these hostels are run by reputed caterers from Indore, Bhopal and Chennai.

The university has claimed that the food menu is decided after monthly meetings with the Student Committee members. They said that the faculty and students eat from the same mess, and on the night of violence on November 25, there were no complaints of food quality.

To maintain consistent quality, the university “employs a hospitality manager trained in a 5-star hotel environment, and a student committee is actively involved in deciding the menu,” it said.

The university claimed that there have been “many cases where the students initially opted to stay outside the campus but soon came back to stay in the hostels. This itself shows the quality and the standard of living in our hostels.”

To ensure better water quality, the university assured that it has upgraded the existing purification system by introducing advanced ozonizers that help remove harmful microbes and enhance the taste of water. “Additional sand filters and a water softener are also being installed to improve the overall filtration process… the university is forming a dedicated Water Quality Control Committee comprising faculty members and student representatives,” the reply stated.

When contacted, a university spokesperson said, “We have submitted our report to the government. Our main contention is that the way in which water samples were collected did not follow proper procedures. We have also explained that there was no atmosphere of fear, and we need some kind of discipline to manage 17,000 students.”