OBC students at UoH begin hunger strike against vacant PhD, MPhil seats
Members of All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) at the University of Hyderabad started a hunger strike demanding that vacant PhD and MPhil seats be filled immediately with candidates in the waiting list.
By Sumit Jha Published on 25 Dec 2020 3:01 PM GMT
Hyderabad: Members of All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) at the University of Hyderabad started a hunger strike demanding that vacant PhD and MPhil seats be filled immediately with candidates in the waiting list.
These seats were not notified in the January 2021 PhD admission notification. Some students have left after getting admissions in JNU and DU.
The students were also demanding that the university immediately send the action taken report to National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) and also implement the orders by the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) dated 12 December. The NCBC had given 30 days to send a report on matters under the Urgent Category.
On 12 November, the NCBC, responding to the complaints raised by the AIOBCSA organised a public hearing with students, research scholars, teaching and non-teaching staff of the University of Hyderabad. Thalloju Achari, a member of the NCBC and Ramesh Vishwanathula, legal advisor, NCBC, along with the university's administration conducted a public hearing. Issues related to the representation of OBCs in teaching, and non-teaching roles, roster issues, and PhD and MPhil admissions-related issues were raised. Thalloju informed that the commission will take necessary steps to protect the interest of the OBCs.
The NCBC member also asked the University to give admission to a student who was deprived of their rights even after scoring highest in PhD entrance exam and a student the chance of interview. "It is advised to the university authorities to take all steps required to protect the students from personal targeting and see that Adduri Muktheswar gets admission as special categories and Harshini Devi gets the chance of interview by rectifying the deprivation of his right of admission even after showing merit in their examination and interview," said Thalloju Achari in his order to the university on December 12.
"The University has not given the admission and a chance for an interview to these students," said Naresh Kumar, National Coordinator, AIOBCSA.
The AIOBCSA is also demanding that the university strictly follow the UGC Regulation, 2018, regarding the allocation of PhD seats to Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor roles in the 8:6:4 ratio. While some schools are strictly implementing this formula, some are not. "This will increase the PhDs to graduates ratio and improve our QS Rankings," said Kiran Kumar, National President, AIOBCSA.
The students are also demanding that the OBC fee structure be on par with SCs and STs, and the implementation of the rule of reservations in the Institution of Eminence (IoE) Research projects and faculty positions. "We are also demanding immediate withdrawal of memos and show cause notices issued to the office bearers of staff union and OBC employees, especially those who participated in protests against the administration," said Naresh Kumar.
