The administration of the School of Nursing at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is now facing heat in response to its actions against a protest undertaken by students of the institute. Following a notification by the Indian Nursing Council (INC) that derecognised the batches enrolled in IMS for years 2015, 2016 and 2017, the students approached the authorities about the information and updates regarding this notification, which was released on November 28.
In an interview, a student described how this meeting was the latest in a series of conversations that occurred between the students and the administration through the year.
This delay by the institute in relaying information may lead to a setback for the students who won’t be able to apply for jobs or join appropriate MSc courses in their fields. After the meeting on Wednesday with BHU Vice Chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar and IMS Director V.K. Shukla, the students organized a sit-in on Thursday as they did not get the necessary assurances from either of them. This sit-in, which was organized at the varsity gate, was met with strong pushback from the proctorial board and the security staff.
The chief proctor, Royana Singh, was one of the members who engaged with the students in response to their sit-in.
In a video that is circulating on social media after the incident, the chief proctor can be seen hitting and dragging students across the ground, accompanied by police officers and security staff on her sides. On being asked by reporters, Singh denied the claims of her use of force, saying, “Nothing of the sort happened here. We talked to the students and returned.”
Following this clash between the authorities and the students, a fourth-year student, Manju Kumari, suffered damage to her left ear. This damage was later diagnosed as a perforation in her left ear.
The students of the Nursing School at IMS wrote a letter to the inspector of Lanka police station yesterday, requesting an FIR to be lodged against Singh. Another student from the institute, who did not want to be named, said, “The police authorities informed us that it was the procedure to conduct a thorough investigation, including a medical, in case of a complaint lodged against a government official.”
The office of the chief proctor has responded with writing another letter to the Lanka police station Inspector, accusing the students of violence on campus premises and requesting appropriate action against certain students named in the letter.
The chief proctor office of BHU has not responded to the requests of a comment on the issue, we will add updates if they do.