Headlines
Students protest against HRD ministry, IIT-Madras
New Delhi, June 1
Scores of students on Monday
staged a protest outside the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry
here against de-recognition of a students group by the Indian Institute
of Technology-Madras (IIT-Madras).
The students, gathered under
the aegis of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, raised slogans
against IIT-Madras and the HRD ministry at Shashtri Bhawan, which houses
the ministry.
The Jamia Millia Islamia and Delhi University
units of All India Student Association (AISA) also participated in the
demonstration.
The protestors said the IIT-Madras has banned
Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC), a students' study group, for
criticising the central government, as per the directions of the Smriti
Irani-led HRD ministry.
"Banning the APSC of IIT-Madras for aptly
criticising the government's inabilities is unfair. There is a need to
defend our right to freedom of speech and expression," said Sandeep
Saurav, national general secretary of AISA.
Last week, the
IIT-Madras acted against the APSC following an anonymous complaint to
the central government that the students group was trying to "create
hateful environment" by distributing "controversial pamphlets and
posters" on the campus.
The ministry, however, later clarified
that the IIT-Madras simply acted according to its own "procedure and
institute's guidelines".