A serious teacher-student fracas in the newly-upgraded National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Hamirpur, Himachal, has put the HRD Ministry at loggerheads with Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal. The latter has without consulting it ordered suspension of institute chief warden P.K. Sood.The Hamirpur Regional Engineering College was recently converted into a NIT after the state government agreed to hand over its reins to the Centre, paving way for its upgradation to NIT level.When trouble broke out at the campus last week, irate students got in touch with Chief Minister Dhumal, who then ordered NIT Acting Director Dr S.K. Bhowmick to suspend Wardan Sood, for allegedly beating up some students.Dhumal forgot he was no longer in control. That a month ago the state had passed the baton to the HRD Ministry.‘‘The state government certainly does not have the power to suspend anyone of the teaching faculty or interfere in the running of the NIT, which is an autonomous institute under Central supervision,’’ a HRD official said, adding a ‘‘bad precedence has set by the state government’s order’’.Dhumal reportedly got ‘‘carried away’’ when some former students called up him up from the Acting Director’s office, where the students had gheraoed him demanding Sood’s suspension.After Dhumal interfered, the NIT was shut down with teachers protesting against Sood’s suspension without a proper probe. However, the students have lifted their dharna and vacated the campus.‘‘The institute will remain shut till normalcy returns,’’ Bhowmick said. The NIT administration was already in touch with the HRD Minister on this, he said.
