Subject: Urgent Appeal for Student Safety, Welfare, and Administrative Accountability
Respected Madam,
Greetings of the day!
On behalf of the student community, I write to express our deep concern regarding a distressing
and unprecedented incident that occurred on the night of 1st August at the Boys' Hostel.
Between 10:30 PM to 2:30 AM, several hostel rooms were intrusively searched by individuals
(Faculties, Cleaning Staff, Security Guards, and other Hostel Staff) who did not hold proper
authorisation to conduct such inspections. These searches were carried out without the presence
or consent of the students occupying those rooms. Personal belongings including suitcases,
cupboards, and even articles of clothing were examined in a manner that was invasive,
authoritative overreach and deeply disrespectful. This incident has caused widespread
emotional distress among students and stands in clear violation of our fundamental right to
dignity and privacy.
Further incidents associated with this inspection have raised serious ethical and procedural
concerns:
Although it was officially described as a hostel-wide inspection, certain rooms and
specific students were disproportionately targeted, giving rise to concerns of bias or
discrimination. Students were abruptly awakened in the middle of the night and
subjected to interrogations, contributing to fear, confusion, and sleep disruption.
Individuals who are not authorised to conduct any form of inspection such as
housekeeping or support staff were instructed to open and search through student’s
personal belongings.
Students who were not present in the hostel at the time, having gone to stay with local
guardians, were questioned afterward. They were forced to call their guardians at 3:30
AM to speak with staff members, and later coerced into calling their parents as well.
When students requested that the calls may be made in the morning, their details were
taken down, and their parents were contacted anyway.
Students who returned slightly late to the hostel were forced to sit outside until
their parents spoke with staff. This practice was both humiliating and unnecessary,
especially when no prior protocol for such measures had been communicated.
First-year students have been discouraged implicitly or explicitly from interacting with
their seniors or leaving their hostel floors. This limits opportunities for mentorship,
healthy peer support, and overall social development.
There are more than 80 documented complaints in the past two years relating to
medical negligence, inappropriate staff behaviour in girls' hostels, and general
safety concerns, none of which have been satisfactorily addressed.
Students who raise valid concerns or question unjust practices are often targeted or
harassed by members of the hostel or faculty committees, creating an environment
where students are afraid to speak up.
These actions reflect an alarming overreach of authority and have created a toxic environment
marked by fear, mistrust, and emotional distress. Such practices are not only unjust they are
antithetical to the values of a fair and respectful academic community.
In light of these serious concerns, we respectfully demand the following actions:
1. No Room Inspections After 10:00 PM:
All room inspections must strictly cease after 10:00 PM. Under no circumstances
should inspections be carried out late at night, as doing so causes unnecessary distress,
invades personal space, and disrupts students’ rest and sense of security.
Only officially designated and properly trained personnel should be authorised to
conduct room checks. At no point should unauthorised individuals such as support staff,
untrained workers, or unidentified persons be permitted to enter or search student
rooms. This is a serious breach of privacy and institutional integrity.
Exceptions may be made solely in the case of legitimate emergencies, and even then,
inspections must be conducted in a professional, respectful manner, following clear
protocols that prioritise the rights and dignity of the students involved.
2. Faculty Members Must Be Removed from all Administrative Roles:
Faculty members should be immediately removed from all administrative roles of the
university. Their involvement in such roles has created significant conflicts of interest
and has severely eroded the trust between students and faculty. This dual role often
results in blurred boundaries between academic evaluation and hostel discipline, which
can be detrimental to a healthy educational environment.
Moreover, it has led to a noticeable deterioration in student-faculty relationships.
Instances have been reported where students who exercised their right to raise concerns
or question unfair practices were subsequently targeted facing indirect retaliation,
including biased academic treatment. In several cases, faculty members allegedly
penalised students through unjust deductions in viva marks or by creating undue
academic pressure.
Such practices not only violate the principles of fairness and objectivity but also
cultivate a culture of fear, silence, and resentment. To ensure a safe, open, and respectful
environment for all students, it is imperative that faculty members are not assigned roles
that place them in a position of disciplinary power over students outside the academic
framework.
3. Parent/Guardian Communication Protocol:
Unless there is a clear and immediate emergency, parents or guardians must not be
contacted during late-night hours. Disturbing families in the middle of the night for
non-urgent matters is both inappropriate and disrespectful, and it creates unnecessary
panic and confusion.
All routine or disciplinary communication must be conducted during regular daytime
hours, and students should be informed in advance if their parents are to be contacted.
This ensures transparency, protects student autonomy, and upholds basic standards of
professionalism and courtesy
4. Revaluation of the Student Coordinator Post:
The position of Student Coordinator must be re-constituted or dissolved. Students were
not consulted in their appointment, and the role has consistently failed to address core
welfare concerns. We request a formal document outlining the exact powers,
responsibilities, and accountability mechanisms of this post. Furthermore, students
must be given the right to elect their own welfare representatives who can effectively
communicate and advocate on their behalf.
5. Immediate Redressal of Long-Standing Issues:
All long-standing student grievances must be addressed without further delay. These
issues have remained unresolved for extended periods, despite repeated complaints and
documentation, leading to frustration and loss of faith in the existing grievance redressal
mechanisms.
We strongly urge the formation of a proper and accountable forum, chaired by the
Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, to hear and resolve these matters in a time-bound manner.
Students must be allowed to present their concerns directly, and regular updates on the
status of each complaint must be made publicly available to ensure transparency.
Final Note:
If these issues are not promptly resolved, the student community will be compelled to pursue
further action. Please understand that these concerns are non-negotiable from our side. We
wish to work collaboratively with the administration to build a healthier, more respectful hostel
culture but that process must begin with immediate reforms.
We sincerely await your prompt attention to this matter, along with a clear and actionable
roadmap for reform.
Warm regards,
Student Welfare Committee
