Students of RGUKT-Basara are like 'caged birds': Unions

Hyderabad: Are students of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, Basara (RGUKT-Basara), popularly known as IIIT, Basara. turned into caged birds under the police surveillance?

The question has come to the fore following student unions on Monday alleging that the administration has imposed unreasonable restrictions on students and demanded a rollback.

State president of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), RL Murthy. alleged that none of the assurances given to students by Education Minister Sabita Indra Reddy was fulfilled, making them once again decide to agitate in get their demands fulfilled. However, sensing trouble, the administration banned using mobile phones on campus. Also, it has barred the media to interact with students.

T Nagaraju, State secretary, pointed out that the restrictions on usage of mobile phones meant no information on the agitating students reaches the media, to anyone outside the institution.

It may be mentioned that IIIT-B is a residential university where about 8,000 students pursue studies. The student leaders dubbed the restrictions turned students into "caged birds under round-the-clock police security on the campus. The police escorting the media and the round-the-clock presence of the police near student hostels were undemocratic and trampling upon the rights of students", they added.

Both the administration and the police were mounting pressure on the students not to speak out about their problems to anyone. Against this backdrop, they demanded the administration to lift the restrictions. Failing, they vowed to fight until the curbs were eased and students were allowed to freely raise their problems.

However, the in-charge Vice-Chancellor Prof V Venkata Ramana dismissed the allegations. Speaking to The Hans India, he said, the usage of mobile phones was restricted only in the administrative block at controller of examinations, finance and data centre. In the academic areas. like classrooms, there is no blanket ban on use of mobile phones by students.

When asked about the round-the-clock police presence, he said, "only a maximum of five police personnel present. Earlier, there was a police post on the campus and no police presence at the hostels."

Prof Ramana said the varsity has opened a round-the-clock library facility for students. Also soon going to open a round-the-clock computer centre. "Parents of the students have raised certain reservation about the safety of girl students. It was to address the issue that one-two policemen were present on roads to ensure no untoward incident take place." That apart, they have also been providing security to ensure no outsiders enter the campus, which is a residential university, he said.

On banning entry of the media, the VC said "first, we wanted things to settle down. The university will invite the media soon to the campus and explain the steps taken and its plans for development of the university for a bright future for its students.