Pro-Protest

The EPC conversed with a few protestors who were present at the protest and tried to understand their sentiments about the whole situation. A student stated that if his parents found out about the poor facilities on campus, they would relocate him as soon as possible. He said that the administration is unwilling to acknowledge that problems pertaining to the heat exist in the first place, which just shows that they will not consider the demands seriously. He felt that the organisers of the protest were doing something that should have been done a long time ago. 

Another student stated that the whole event should be called a ‘gathering’ and not a protest, as it was simply done to collect the students in a common place so that the authorities could address their issues. He stated that the conditions which have persisted since the heat started are not normal, with basic hygiene and drinking water posing to be a problem in his daily life. He said that these are not the kind of problems one would expect in an esteemed university. He stated that this entire event could act as a catalyst for the administration to implement solutions faster and provide the students with normal living conditions. 

The general sentiment of a significant number of the protestors was to organise a gathering where the students would establish some form of a communication channel where the administration would address their issues. They did not want any particular solution like cancellation of the Comprehensive examinations or grading based on Pre-Compre Total (PCT), but instead wanted accountability from the concerned authorities about the uninhabitable living conditions that are persisting. These people acknowledged that there are no immediate solutions to the problems, but for any form of change to be implemented some form of discussion should take place which involves all the stakeholders to get a clear picture and go forward. 

The protestors stated that since everyone who is residing in the Bhawans is facing these extreme issues, it is high time the elected representatives of the Union Council as well as the administration are confronted and questioned about the same. They also stated that if the administration cannot provide the students with satisfactory facilities, then they should make options like PCT and Clear Grade available to the students as soon as possible. 

Anti-Protest

Even as multiple students participated in the protest, there was another faction on campus which was largely unmoved and remained neutral to the issue. Acknowledging full well that the power cuts were inconvenient to their daily functioning, some of these students sided with the administration and were wary of the intent of the protestors. 

Speaking to the EPC, a sophomore conveyed their concerns about a delay in Practise School-I if the administration would have agreed to postpone the comprehensive exams. Adding to this, they were also apprehensive about Summer Internships and utilising the break for their preparation, both of which would have got hampered if exams were not conducted as scheduled. Final-year students were also bothered by the prospect of a ‘needless extension of the semester’, which would have been problematic for them to collect their final transcripts and proceed to begin with their jobs or leave for higher studies. 

Their main contention, however, pertained to why the students resorted to protests in the first place. According to them, it was ‘immature’ to believe the Institute could resolve problems related to pan-India coal depletion and the heatwave. Another student, in their final year, added that the authorities could not ‘magically’ cause the groundwater to rise either. Residents of Meera Bhawan have not reported any issues with the water supply recently. A few students in the boys’ hostels complained about ‘boiling water’ in their washrooms during the afternoon and a cut in their water supply for about four hours the previous week.

Stating the possibility of an ulterior motive to postpone exams or introduce CLR grading again, these students were satisfied with the steps the Institute has taken so far. Extending NAB rooms and library timings, changing the afternoon comprehensive exams slot to 4 PM from 3 PM, keeping the water coolers on constant DG Supply, and giving a provision of make-up exams were sufficient to solve this ongoing power crisis, according to these students. They also felt that if the power cut is restricted to 7 AM through 9 AM, it is relatively easy for them to carry on with their work due for the day. One of these students went on to say that those protesting should stop ‘making a fuss’ and ‘act civilised’, when talking about the rumours of these students breaking into the Auditorium forcefully.

Some of the other students were in support of the protests in principle but did not encourage the execution. They felt that the administration lapsed severely in terms of being transparent with information and keeping students in the loop. One of these students was particularly troubled that the power cuts were perhaps ‘indefinite’ and they have not been filled in with details about the timeline. They also felt the protestors should have approached the administration with solutions initially, rather than causing the unrest. Without a set of solutions, they viewed the protest to be ‘aimless’. Realising this is an issue faced by almost everyone in the country, this student felt the demands could have been more reasonable and feasible. The ‘vandalism’, they added, was completely uncalled for and did not reflect well on the students. 

Response from the administration  

On May 5, the Institute provided closure to the protest and issued a point-wise response to all the demands. Completely shunning online examinations and suspending the ongoing semester, the administration stated that multiple universities in Rajasthan are conducting offline examinations in the same conditions. The notice also claimed that students had ‘expressed satisfaction’ with what the administration had done so far. They did, however, assure taking measures like connecting all water coolers with DG backup and installing desert coolers in the common rooms. Other solutions suggested by students, including the possibility of connecting all Bhawans with DG power back-up, will be considered in ‘due course’.