The National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL) has once again erupted over fee-facility mismatch, with 300-odd students locking their Kanke campus in Ranchi and refusing to join classes till their demands - including appointment of a full-time vice chancellor - were met.

The demonstration, which began around 8pm on Tuesday, prompted acting vice chancellor Gautam Kumar Choudhary to slap showcause on five student leaders late in the night, but the protesters had refused to relent till this report was filed on Wednesday evening.

Students of NUSRL had in April held a similar protest for 72 hours, ending it on the fourth day after Choudhary had promised to look into some principal issues such as infrastructure development (installing an elevator in the G+4 building to aid physically challenged students).

The varsity management has allegedly not met the student wish list that also included an administrative overhaul, appointment of a performance review committee and audit of accounts by CAG, triggering the fresh agitation.

While Choudhary could not be contacted for his comment, the showcause notice at the main gate against ninth semester students Aman Srivastava, Anmol Deepak, Shaurya Krishna and Arpit Dotasra, and seventh semester's Sidarth Lamba sought reply within 24 hours, failing which the varsity warned of rustication.

'We are not surprised,' said a ninth semester boy. 'Last (Tuesday) night, the VC had openly threatened to ruin our career (if we did not withdraw the agitation). Nevertheless, we are peacefully protesting because we are legally entitled to do so,' said, adding that the authorities had deployed 100 cops to quell the stir.

Faced with defiance, the NUSRL on Wednesday afternoon issued a general notice, warning all its 600 students of 'disciplinary action' if they indulged in any activity 'to spoil the academic atmosphere' at the university. The notice further said students abstaining from internal tests would lose 'proportionate weightage' in their semester examinations.

But, the protesters - who swamped the main gate with posters screaming slogans like 'Don't earn by crushing someone's future' and 'I came to study here, but I am on the road' - called both the notices incongruous and accused the NUSRL management of breach of trust.

'Five months ago, the varsity authorities had given us a written undertaking that our demands will be fulfilled within three months. We waited for an additional two months (and yet things did not change for the better). This is the only university (in the state) with no functional (read full-time) VC,' said a seventh semester student.

Students contended that under the Jharkhand State Universities Act, 2000, a review committee was expected to assess varsity performance and prepare an internal report every five years. The NUSRL never floated such a panel in seven years of its existence.

'Our varsity has become a den of corruption. The management is deliberately avoiding financial audit. Our former chancellor (then chief justice of Jharkhand High Court Pradip Kumar Mohanty) had ordered the audit, but the order was apparently reversed (by his successor),' said a ninth semester girl.

A more serious allegation levelled against NUSRL is that its administration 'selectively victimises' students. 'Often their class attendance is not recorded when they are doing field study and they are slapped with unwarranted fines,' said another student.

Acting VC Choudhary said vested interests were trying to malign NUSRL and students were unhappy with him because he was a 'strict disciplinarian' who didn't tolerate rowdy behaviour.

'About infrastructure, a Rs 2-crore contract has been given to an agency to build a road inside the campus. Also, I had approached CAG through the governor for audit. Now, CAG has directed Jharkhand Accountant General to start the process,' the VC said.

Is locking up campus the right way to protest? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com

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