Hyderabad: Student organisations and faculty at Osmania University will hold a People’s Science Congress as a mark of protest against the shifting of the Indian Science Congress to Manipur University.
Student organisations conducted a round table at OU Arts College hall to discuss preparations for the parallel congress proposed in March.
They said that state government and the varsity authorities had blamed them for the shifting of the venue and hence the decision was taken to have a congress on lines of ISC around the same time.
Sociology assistant professor Ram Sheperd said, “ISC was postponed and the venue shifted due to political interventions and varsity authorities cited security reasons, fund crunch and issue of SC categorisation. The shifting was done by the central government.”
It was in this backdrop that faculty members have decided to hold an alternative programme in collaboration with student organisations and invite experts to present papers.
A representation would soon be made to the Vice-Chancellor, he added.
OU Student Union president Dudagaka Naresh said the student community was highly disappointed with the shifting of the venue and no proper reasons were given. The parallel congress would be conducted with funds from student organisations and faculty members, he added.
Registrar Prof. Gopal Reddy said, ‘“So far, we have not received any representations from the students and the faculty members. We have heard that they are planning the event. If they approach us, we can decide whether permission can be given or not.”
