Hyderabad: Universities in the city continue to face student agitations over reopening of colleges for physical classes. While at the English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu), nearly 25 students staged a sit-in protest on Friday, demanding that the administration reopen hostels and libraries, at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (Manuu) students concern over missing out on major academic activities due to online classes.
In a letter submitted to the Eflu administration, students asked for the library and hostel facilities to be reopened for those who want to return. The students said that their research was getting affected due to lack of access to books and research material available online, and that students staying in villages and remote areas were facing internet and electricity issues.
“Many students had privacy issues at home, affecting their focus on coursework, and writing their dissertation without resources available at the university library,” the students wrote.
At Manuu, students have complained that due to the delay in phased reopening, the careers of research students were at stake. “All kinds of activities have resumed across the country, but academics are suffering here. Most universities have called all students back for physical classes, but the Manuu administration is delaying the process. Further delay will cost the students another semester,” said Saif-ur-Rehman, a student of third year BA Journalism and Mass Communication, and president of the Campus Front of India, Manuu.
Authorities at both universities condemned the protests and said that they were following UGC guidelines to ensure that students’ health and safety. “We don’t wish to keep the university closed indefinitely, we are not doing it willingly. We are bound to follow the UGC guidelines,” they said. The Eflu senior authorities said that while they understand the concerns being raised by the students, they said they have provided all resources including Rs 2 crore worth of e-books on their platform.
“We don’t think such resources will even be available in our libraries at this point,” they said. While Eflu authorities will meet to decide on the matter of reopening hostels in the next few days, at Manuu the management said that the third and fourth phase of reopening will take place in March.
