Daijiworld Media Network - Ranchi

Ranchi, Jul 20: Tension gripped Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University (DSPMU) in Ranchi on Monday after students protesting against the alleged reduction in undergraduate seats and irregularities in the admission process clashed with police.

The situation escalated when police intervened to disperse the demonstrators, leading to confrontations on the campus. Additional security personnel were deployed to prevent further unrest.

The protesting students accused the university administration of substantially reducing seats in both conventional and vocational undergraduate programmes. They claimed the decision would limit higher education opportunities for students, particularly those from economically weaker and middle-income families aspiring to pursue professional courses such as BCA, BBA, B.Com and other job-oriented programmes.

Another major grievance raised by the students was the alleged violation of the state's reservation policy in the recently released admission list. They demanded that the admission process be reviewed and a fresh merit list be issued in strict compliance with reservation norms.

Leaders of various student organisations said they had repeatedly submitted memorandums to the university administration over the past several weeks but had received no satisfactory response, prompting them to launch the protest.

During the agitation, demonstrators burnt an effigy of the Vice-Chancellor outside the university's administrative block. Some protesters also allegedly hurled ink at the Vice-Chancellor's official vehicle.

As the protest intensified, police stepped in to clear the area, and the ensuing action led to chaos on the campus. While reports indicated that force was used to disperse the crowd, there was no immediate official confirmation of any serious injuries.

The students have placed several demands before the university administration, including restoration of the reduced seats in undergraduate courses, appointment of permanent faculty members in departments facing staff shortages—particularly the Tribal and Regional Languages Department—fee concessions for SC/ST students, timely release of scholarships, filling of roster and backlog vacancies, and implementation of PhD regulations.

Student leaders warned that the protest would be intensified if the administration failed to address their concerns promptly. Meanwhile, the university administration had not issued any official statement on the allegations or the students' demands at the time of reporting.