Students, police clash at Ranchi varsity over seat cuts, reservation concerns

Clashes erupted between students and police at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University (DSPMU) in Ranchi over the alleged reduction in undergraduate seats, violation of reservation norms, and several student welfare demands.

Police used force to disperse the demonstrators, triggering tension in and around the campus. Additional security personnel have since been deployed.

Students alleged that the university administration had significantly reduced the number of seats in both traditional and vocational undergraduate courses.

They argued that the move would adversely affect students from economically weaker and middle-class families seeking admission to professional programmes such as BCA, BBA, B. Com and other career-oriented courses.

The protesters also claimed that the recently published admission list did not properly adhere to the state government's reservation policy. They demanded a review of the admission process and the release of a revised list in accordance with reservation norms.

Representatives of various student organisations said they had been submitting memorandums to the university administration for several weeks, but no concrete action had been taken.

In protest, students burnt an effigy of the Vice-Chancellor outside the administrative building. During the demonstration, some protesters also allegedly threw ink on the Vice-Chancellor's vehicle.

As the situation deteriorated, police intervened to remove the demonstrators. The subsequent use of force led to chaos on the campus. However, there was no immediate official confirmation of any serious injuries.

The student groups have put forward a series of demands, including restoration of seats in traditional and vocational courses, appointment of permanent faculty members in various departments including the Tribal and Regional Languages Department, fee concessions for SC/ST students, timely disbursal of scholarships, recruitment against roster and backlog vacancies, and implementation of PhD regulations.

Student leaders warned that the agitation would be intensified if the university administration fails to take a decision on their demands at the earliest. The university administration had not issued an official response to the allegations so far.

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