While the whole world has its eye on the Indian Science Congress being held between January 3-7, Mysuru University students feel they have been denied the opportunity to attend such an event that is being organized by their university.
On Sunday Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the 103rd edition of the Indian Sciencee Congress at the university campus in Manasagangothri. However, the event has been marred by a two-fold disappointment: students residing in the hostels have been asked to vacate, and have also been specifically told not to attend the event.
“This is our university and they’ve told us we can’t go there. We would’ve liked to see it, it would be great exposure (to new knowledge) for us,” says Saritha (name changed), a second year post-graduate student of electronic media. She said that the students had specifically been told not to go near the venues.
She said that most of the students living in the girls’ hostel and vacated their rooms in the last days of December and would only be able to return after the event concludes. “This is really inconvenient for us as our exams begin on January 18 and we need to study,” Saritha said.
The male students however, fought to stay back in the hostel. They organized protests against the university both in Mysuru city and in Bengaluru in December. “Now they’ve told us we can stay, that no one would be forced to leave, but the mess has been shut down, so it is very inconvenient,” says Prajwal, another post-graduate student.
A lecturer at the university said that most of the staff members – teaching and non-teaching – had been assigned responsibilities to organize the event. This has caused much inconvenience to the students. “The library is closed. Our exams are coming up and we don’t know what to do,” Prajwal added.