Violence rocked Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), the lone central university of the state, on Monday. A group of students vandalised the office chamber of RGU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Saket Kushwaha. The incident reportedly occurred over the issue of restarting the prefect system in the university. According to the RGU administration, the prefect system was abolished in 2021. The violence is highly condemnable and students should refrain from such acts. They should adopt democratic norms to seek fulfillment of their demands. In today’s world, violence has no place in a civilised society.
The incident also is a wake-up call for the RGU authorities, in particular VC Kushwaha. In the past also, students have accused him in particular of acting like a dictator and not listening to the grievances of the students. The voices of dissent against his way of administration have repeatedly come out of the university in recent years. It has overshadowed all the good works initiated by him, like the beautification of the campus and improving the ranking of RGU. The VC should initiate dialogue with the students and end the impasse. There should be better coordination between the student community and the RGU authorities, so that normalcy returns to the university at the earliest.