New Delhi: Around 200 students of the
Delhi Technical University (DTU) on Friday staged a candle light
vigil in the national capital demanding the removal of their
Vice Chancellor and said they will not sit for any talks until
their demands are met.
The students held a march from Cannught Place to
Parliament Street demanding Vice Chancellor P B Sharma's
removal and demanded that the DTU should get back its early
status of being part of Delhi University, a central
University. The DTU has now become a state University.
Earlier in the day, the institute's Board of
Management met with students and faculty to convince them that
the change in the status was in their benefit. An University
official said the members gave a "patient hearing" to the
students.
However, students who participated in the candle-light
vigil rejected this contention.
"We want the Vice Chancellor's resignation, then only
a fruitful discussion will take place. The reason we are
protesting is that we want a reputed college so that we can
stand in line with IITs. We have every right to get good
placements and the current state university status denies us
that right," said varsity's Student Union President Ravi
Shekhar.
However, the Board of Management told the agitating
students, "the move will significantly improve the quality of
academic and professional services, ensure better quality of
teaching-learning environment, regular updating of the course
curriculum and will meet the requirement of quality faculty
for the new and ongoing programmes."
The board also emphasised on an "appropriate
consultative mechanism" for timely action on "genuine
grievances" of the students and the faculty. "It will be
desirable to have a Standing Committee of the BOM for the
redressal of the grievances of the students and faculty."
The University's highest decision making body also
noted that the mid-semester exams, rescheduled from March 29,
should be held as per the schedule. It said the students who
took exams earlier will have the option to appear in the
rescheduled mid-semester examination and in such cases, the
higher of their two scores will be awarded.
About 80 of the nearly 3,000 students had taken exams
for three days till a decision was taken on March 17 to
reschedule the exams.
The management members said 6th Pay Commission
recommendations will be implemented "as soon as the regulation
for the pay revision is received from AICTE through the
Government of Delhi."
Appealing students for restoring normalcy, it
suggested that two nominees of the students and two nominees
of the teachers be invited as special invitee in the meetings
of the Academic Council.
The board also advised the vice chancellor that any
case of suspension of faculty members be placed before it for
decision. The Posts of regular Registrar, Controller (Finance)
should be filled at the earliest, it desired.
Stepping in to break the current impasse in the wake
of students' protest, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had on
March 17 asked the institute authorities to resolve the matter
within two days.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 19, 2010, 23:21