Nearly 25 students staged a sit-in protest outside English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) campus in Hyderabad on Friday, demanding that the administration reopen hostels and library. The protesting students said that their academic career would be affected without access to the internet and library. The campus has remained closed indefinitely due to COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter submitted to the administration, the students said, “We would like to request the campus administration to re-open the library and hostel facilities for the willing students on a voluntary basis for the students.”
The students said that their research work is getting affected due to lack of access to books and research material available online. Students staying in villages and remote areas have internet and electricity issues, they said.
According to agitating students, some students are undergoing mental stress and depression due to conflictual relationships at home. “Many students have no privacy, have to participate in household work, help parents in their work. The final year MA students have to write a dissertation and without the resources and help of the guides, the research work is being affected,” the students wrote.
“We went ahead with the protest because the administration did not reopen the hostels despite giving a representation, in which a large number of students had signed,” a student requesting anonymity said.
The protesting students said that they had recently conducted a survey among students and research scholars regarding their experience of studying from home. A total of 184 students had participated in the study.
In the survey, 46.2% of the students complained of poor internet at their home, 82.6% of them felt that their prolonged stay at home would affect their academic performance, 29.4% of them were in an abusive situation, 70.1% of them said that they faced mental distress at home.
As per the survey, 75% of students preferred to stay in hostels and continue with the online classes.