In the controversy over complaints of poor-quality food and drinking water at the VIT University in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, the three-member inquiry committee constituted by the Madhya Pradesh Private University Regulatory Commission, has found that the VIT Bhopal varsity administration tried to cover up the recent jaundice outbreak on the campus.
The committee was formed to investigate the incident of violence on 26th November on the campus of VIT Bhopal wherein 4,000 students unleashed violence and arson after some students got jaundice and it was alleged that three students had died. Later, it emerged that two deaths happened, but both were unrelated to jaundice.
In its report, the three-member committee said, “hostel mess services are extremely unsatisfactory and the quality of food and refreshments has received largely negative feedback from most hostel residents”.
“Female students informed the committee that drinking water had a foul smell. The management admitted before the committee that 23 male and 12 female students suffered from jaundice,” the committee added.
“On-campus health centre had no accurate record of how many students contracted jaundice. Despite being aware of the spread of the disease, the administration concealed it and attempted a cover-up,” the committee noted.
The committee’s investigation revealed that the VIT Bhopal campus has been turned into a “fortress-like structure”. It added that even top medical officers were forced to wait on the main gate for at least two hours.
During their interaction with the probe panel, students revealed that they are threatened with harassment if they complain against the alleged mismanagement and in the name of discipline, their I-cards are confiscated, they are barred from appearing in examinations, threatened with low marks or failure in practical exams.”
The committee said that when students complain about poor food quality and arrangements, their complains are dismissed and students are asked to “eat whatever is served.”
“Basis of discipline in the university is not mutual trust but an atmosphere of fear-based discipline”. The committee added that the varsity management was “in a state of self-obsession and overconfidence, believing it could handle any situation.”
The committee report stated that the anger and frustration over the varsity administration’s nonchalance in addressing their concerns kept mounting and it was “only when the situation went completely out of control, and agitated students could no longer be managed, did the management inform the police administration at 2 am, after which the police restored order.”
What further fuelled the anger of students against the varsity administration was that when several students fell ill, instead of taking them to hospital, the management asked them to go home.
Meanwhile, a show-cause notice to the Chancellor under Section 41(1) of the Madhya Pradesh Private University Act, 2007, demanding an explanation within seven days. The notice was issued by Higher Education Department Deputy Secretary, Viren Singh Bhalavi.
Chaos erupted in VIT Bhopal on 25th November
Notably, on 25th November, around 4,000 students at VIT University in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, burnt buses and cars on campus and vandalized an ambulance. During the protest, students were allegedly assaulted by guards.
On the night of 26th November, arson broke out and the varsity administration called the police. The agitating students vandalized and set fire to buses and cars on the university campus, and even damaged an ambulance. To handle the situation, a large police force was deployed from five police stations, including Ashta, Zawar, Parvati, Kotwali, and Mandi. After the dust settled, a large number of students left for their homes.
