Around 150 research students from the Panjab University have protested outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office after being told by hostel wardens and Dean Students Welfare (DSW) to vacate the hostel on Friday, reported The Indian Express.
The students have been using college resources to complete their research studies. Moreover, travelling back home could risk them to the virus. “Our two main issues are the threat to our health and the effect it will have on our research work. Some of us are scared that we might catch the virus while travelling back to our homes, others don’t want to go back home to red zone areas such as Delhi,” says Jaidev Vishnoi, a research scholar in English and Cultural Studies to The Indian Express.
Research scholars use the university wi-fi connection to access online journals and databases. The country has already been digitally divided over the accessibility of the internet by all.
Meanwhile, the DSW SK Tomar has said that there is uncertainty over conducting the examinations hence there is no point staying in the hostel to complete the work. “Teachers are not visiting campus and corona cases are rising. We interacted with students to impress upon them that they should leave if they can, especially those who belong to neighbouring states. This step was taken keeping in mind the safety of residents, as COVID cases will only peak soon,” Tomar says.