India News

BHU students’ protest in Capital brings out the horrors that girl students live with

Published

9 years ago

September 28, 2017

BHU students’ protest in Capital brings out the horrors that girl students live with

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Photo by Bhavana Gaur

~By Lilly Paul

A two-day protest was organized at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi (September 26-27) by the alumni and students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) over the brutal lathi-charge against the students on September 23. The students were protesting against an incident on September 21 where a student was harassed by unidentified men on her way back to the hostel.

The Joint Action Committee from BHU, which included a group of 11 of the university’s students, protested against the lathi-charge and discrimination faced by female students in the varsity. Their demands included suspension of the vice-chancellor and the SP and DIG along with a judicial enquiry into the event.

The students got the support of other universities such as Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Swami Agnivesh also extended his support to the protesting students and called out the vice-chancellor of BHU, GC Tripathi for his comments and actions.

The VC in his interview to a media organization has said: “This was not a case of molestation, this was a simple case of eve teasing that was deliberately staged a day before the Prime Minister’s visit.”

The students also demanded formation of a sexual harassment committee, installation of CCTV cameras, gender sensitization in the campus, and abolition of curfew timings and other discriminatory rules for girls.

Photo by Bhavana Gaur

Mineshi Mishra, a Psychology Hons final year student of BHU said that on September 23, the vice chancellor was asked to address the students at the protest site as women’s safety was the larger issue, whereas the VC wanted to meet only some specific students. The girls were told by the VC’s PA that he would meet them soon. As they were waiting for the vice-chancellor to arrive, the police suddenly started thrashing the students. Students were lathi-charged across the campus. The girls who were hiding in the Women’s College near the protest site were also thrashed and abused by the police.

“This further agitated the students who were waiting just for a dialogue with the VC. Instead, the VC set the police on us with lathis and teargas and rubber pellets. It was shattering,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Proctor of the university, Onkar Nath Singh resigned on Wednesday taking moral responsibility of the incident. The station officer of Lanka police station, Circle Officer of Belapur and three Additional City Magistrates were removed following the demonstration against the lathi-charge.

However, the students are not satisfied by these removals and resignations instead they call all of it a farce.

Vikas, student of BHU said: “The chief proctor is not responsible for the lathi-charge, it cannot be done without the VC’s permission. It is the VC who should be suspended.”

The students accused the university and the VC of having a regressive stand regarding women and their education. When the students had demanded a 24×7 library and access for girls, the university administration had denied their demands saying that allowing women access to libraries at night is not practical. They also said that the VC in his two-year tenure has made comments in public which very clearly depicts his mentality towards women. Citing one such incident, the students told that the VC in his address in an IGNOU conference in Delhi had said that the female students keep the scholarship money for their dowry and use it for many such things which cannot be openly said in such a platform.

Photo by Bhavana Gaur

In another incident in March, this year the VC in his address to the students of Mahila Mahavidyalay, BHU, had allegedly said that for the VC, daughters are those who, if asked to choose between their career or their brother’s, give more preference to their brother’s career.

“Anybody who is educated, rational and has a scientific temperament will naturally oppose such orthodox views and so the friction is inevitable. Our fight is not against that chief proctor, the VC or any such official for that matter instead it is against the regressive mentality that the university has for women,” he said.

On being asked about the alleged petrol bombing from the students, the BHU students responded that ones who threw petrol bombs were goons protected by the VC. “This is a group which is constantly involved in molestation and extortion inside the campus. They make derogatory comments about women on social media and have close connection with the VC. This is the reason why no complaints can be made because when the assaulters are themselves defended by the VC, who will take action against them?” one of the students said.

“The alleged violence was done so as to break our protest and split us into groups,” Mineshi said.

Security

A constant criticism about the university is the lack of security measures on campus, which is a major complaint of the students, too. The university has no cell to address cases of sexual harassment on campus. All that the girl students can do is to complain to the proctors who in return shame them.

The proctor’s office was just a few steps away from the incident, but when on September 21 the student went to the proctor with her complaint, no action was taken. The students also say that had the proctor acted on time they could have caught the assailants. One of the proctors even went on to say, “Why create such a ruckus, you have only been molested and not raped.”

“The proctors alone get a budget of Rs 16 crore. Where is the budget used? The only job of the proctors now is to do moral policing and to catch couples who move together. The girls have had to give it in writing that they are guilty of moving with their friends and will never do so in the future,” Mineshi said.

The students said that it is not easy to protest against the university administration. The girls have been speaking up for so long but to no avail. The students who speak against the administration are personally targeted in classrooms. From hostel allotments to academics, everything can be affected if the administration is criticised. The students also said that the professors are also under the same pressure as the students and therefore they have not come out openly in support but clearly back the students’ protest.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:Banaras Hindu University Jantar Mantar Up Yogi Adityanath

Up Next

Railways collaborating with ISRO for rail safety, says Piyush Goyal

Don't Miss

One year after Surgical Strike: A look at what India achieved

India News

Indian Army Agniveer CEE Result 2026 declared, ARO-wise merit list released

The Indian Army has announced the Agniveer CEE Result 2026. Candidates can now download the ARO-wise merit list and check their eligibility for the next stages of recruitment.

Published

5 hours ago

July 13, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Indian Army has announced the Agniveer Common Entrance Examination (CEE) Result 2026, allowing candidates to check their qualifying status through the official recruitment portal. The Army Recruitment Office (ARO)-wise merit lists have been uploaded on joinindianarmy.nic.in, where candidates can download the PDF corresponding to their recruitment region.

The merit lists contain the names and roll numbers of candidates who have successfully cleared the written examination and become eligible for the next phase of the Agniveer recruitment process.

How to check Indian Army Agniveer CEE Result 2026

Candidates can access their results by following these steps:

Visit the official Indian Army recruitment website.
Click on the Agniveer CEE Result 2026 link available on the homepage.
Select the relevant Army Recruitment Office (ARO) or recruitment region.
Download the merit list PDF.
Search for your roll number or name to confirm your qualification status.

What happens after the Agniveer CEE result?

Candidates shortlisted in the Common Entrance Examination will now have to undergo the remaining stages of the recruitment process. These include:

Physical Fitness Test (PFT)
Physical Measurement Test (PMT)
Document Verification (DV)
Medical Examination

Only candidates who successfully clear every stage will be considered for final selection under the Agniveer recruitment programme.

Candidates advised to verify details carefully

After downloading the merit list, candidates should carefully check all the information mentioned in the document. If they notice any discrepancy related to their result or personal details, they should immediately contact their respective Army Recruitment Office (ARO) for assistance.

Candidates are also advised to keep checking the official Indian Army recruitment portal for updates regarding the schedule, venue and instructions for the upcoming physical tests, document verification and medical examination.

India News

Delhi air quality slips to poor as AQI reaches 261, highest in over 85 days

Delhi’s air quality entered the ‘poor’ category after AQI touched 261, its highest level since April 17. Authorities attributed the spike to transnational dust from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

Published

6 hours ago

July 13, 2026

APNLive Desk

Delhi’s air quality fell into the ‘poor’ category on Sunday after the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 261, marking its highest level in more than 85 days, according to official data.

The reading was the highest since April 17, when the AQI stood at 263. Just a day earlier, Delhi had recorded an AQI of 140, while air quality had largely remained in the ‘moderate’ and ‘satisfactory’ categories for most of the month.

Transnational dust behind spike in pollution

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the sudden deterioration in Delhi-NCR’s air quality was mainly caused by long-range winds carrying mineral dust generated by storm activity in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

According to the commission, these dust-laden winds reached northwestern India, including Delhi, resulting in a significant rise in PM10 concentrations. Strong surface winds across the Indo-Gangetic Plain also contributed to the increase in pollution levels.

The CAQM said Delhi’s air quality is expected to remain in the ‘poor’ category for the next few days before improving once the transnational dust spell weakens.

No GRAP Stage-I restrictions for now

Despite the worsening air quality, the CAQM decided not to implement GRAP Stage-I restrictions, stating that the current pollution episode has been triggered by transnational dust rather than local emission sources.

However, the commission directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to intensify dust control measures across the city.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 201 and 300 falls under the ‘poor’ category.

Delhi experiences humid weather

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the maximum temperature at Safdarjung reached 36.8 degrees Celsius, which was 1.3 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 28.3 degrees Celsius, one degree above the seasonal average.

Although the actual maximum temperature remained below 37 degrees Celsius, high humidity pushed the feels-like temperature to 45.7 degrees Celsius by 5:30 pm.

Among other weather stations, maximum temperatures were recorded at 37 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road, 36.6 degrees Celsius at Palam, 36.2 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar and 36 degrees Celsius at Ridge.

Minimum temperatures stood at 27.1 degrees Celsius in Palam, 27.2 degrees Celsius in Lodhi Road, 27.4 degrees Celsius in Ayanagar and 25.6 degrees Celsius at Ridge.

Weather outlook

The IMD has forecast strong surface winds during the daytime on Monday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to remain around 37 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Relative humidity varied between 64 per cent at 8:30 am and 52 per cent at 5:30 pm.

India News

Red Fort bomb threat declared hoax after extensive security checks in Delhi

Delhi Police declared a bomb threat targeting the Red Fort a hoax after conducting a detailed security search following an alert received from Mumbai Police.

Published

2 days ago

July 11, 2026

APNLive Desk

Delhi’s iconic Red Fort witnessed heightened security on Saturday after authorities received a bomb threat targeting the historic monument. Following a detailed inspection and sanitisation drive, Delhi Police confirmed that the threat was a hoax and no explosives were found.

Threat call routed through Mumbai Police

According to officials, the threat was initially received by the Mumbai Police Control Room. The caller allegedly claimed that the Red Fort would be blown up.

Mumbai Police immediately shared the information with the Delhi Police Control Room, which alerted the North District Police. Security personnel were deployed at the monument, and a comprehensive search operation was launched to ensure public safety.

After completing the inspection, officials ruled out any security risk and declared the threat to be false.

Security concerns remain high after previous terror incident

The latest threat comes around eight months after a deadly vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) blast near the Red Fort Metro Station claimed 15 lives and left several others injured.

Investigators had alleged that the blast was carried out by Umar-un-Nabi, a Kashmiri doctor associated with Al-Falah University in Faridabad, who was driving a Hyundai i20. The explosion occurred on the same day security agencies recovered around 2,900 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, from neighbouring Faridabad in Haryana.

According to investigators, the accused allegedly triggered the explosion after two suspected associates were arrested and the explosives were seized during the operation.

Authorities had identified several other accused linked to the case. Investigators alleged that the group was part of a white-collar terror module associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organisation.

Earlier arrests linked to alleged attack plots

In May, Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested nine men who were allegedly linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Police alleged that the accused were planning attacks on critical infrastructure and security personnel in Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the country. According to investigators, potential targets included airports, railway stations, power plants and other vital installations.

Although Saturday’s bomb threat was found to be fake, the incident once again prompted swift security measures at one of the country’s most significant heritage sites.