Yesterday, the HRD ministry appointed Prof. Dr Vipin Srivastava to head HCU in place of Vice-Chancellor Prof P Appa Rao, who went on leave.

Prof Srivastava, from the Physics department, was the chairman of the committee, that recommended punishment for the five students.

HCU students, who are on continuous protests, claimed that, he had earlier harassed a Dalit student from Salem, Senthil Kumar, a research scholar at the physics department, who committed suicide in 2008.

“Regular V-C Prof P Appa Rao is on leave for a few days and as senior-most professor, Dr Vipin Srivastava has been appointed in-charge,’’ said Registrar M Sudhakar.

Reportedly, Appa Rao took the decision to go on leave, after the administration’s bid to close the institution, indefinitely failed.

If the sources are to be believed, on Saturday, the university’s Executive Council (EC) held an emergency meeting and approved the proposal to close the institution “sine dine”, expecting that, the rising tempers would calm, with this act.

Even after the senior faculty members supported the decision, it could not be executed as the state police reportedly advised against it.

Speaking about the same, one of the senior professors of the university said, “Closing the university would mean the police would have to move the protesting students out of the campus. They (police) didn’t think it was advisable.”

It was then that the V-C decided to go on leave for a few days to help put an end to the agitation, said sources.

HCU, V-C resigns if protests do not stop!

If the protests do not stop, even the arrangements are being made to make V-C resign.  “He could step down in a week to ten days if nothing improves,” one of the close sources of Appa Rao said.

Reportedly, the HRD Ministry is unhappy with the V-C for mishandling the situation and “forcing the government to firefight on his behalf”. The report of the two-member fact finding committee had also stated that the university should have handled the incident of “student indiscipline” more “sensitively”.

Appointing Srivastava as HCU in-charge, turns outrageous

More than V-C, it is opting Dr Srivastava as in-charge, that has turned more outrageous, as he was responsible for suspending the five students.

In the other order issued today, the Registrar stated, “The order imposing punishment on the students stands withdrawn subject to the verdict of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad writ petitions and FIR registered at the Gachibowli police station.’’

Meanwhile, after the first batch of seven students were evacuated to the university’s health centre, on Saturday, a new batch of seven students started an indefinite fast.

“Hundreds of students are ready to undertake the hunger strike until V-C Rao is removed from his post. If one batch of fasting students is removed, the next batch will take over,’’ said one of the members of ASA.

Ambedkar grand son in HCU protest!

Several prominent activists, academicians and intellectuals are expected to address the protesting students, today. Sources said, Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, would also be one of the speakers, adding that efforts are also on to invite author Arundhati Roy.

All the students from central universities, in over 15 states will hold the protests marches today, in their respective campuses to express solidarity to HCU Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide.

By Phani Ch