BU girl students stage protest march, demand hostel warden’s ouster

Jhansi: Hundreds of girl students residing in the Bundelkhand University hostel staged a protest against the hostel warden and management, citing grave irregularities, lack of essential amenities and the warden's excessive authoritarianism on Monday night.The disgruntled students of Jhalkaribai hostel took out a march from their hostel to the vice- chancellor's residence before being intercepted by the guards. Chief proctor RK Saini, accompanied by senior professors, appealed to the students to stay calm.The students unanimously demanded immediate dismissal of the hostel warden, Archana Pandey. They alleged that one of their peers suffered from an acute stomach ailment, but despite repeated requests to the warden, no ambulance was summoned for the ailing student, who ultimately had to be transported to the hospital in an auto-rickshaw.The students also complained about the deplorable condition of the toilets, the substandard quality of food, and the absence of clean, potable water. "We are confined and not even permitted to secure our room doors while sleeping at night. The warden is unresponsive to our calls during emergencies," stated one of the protesting students, requesting anonymity.Another student said, "The conditions of our washrooms are abysmal. They are inaccessible due to filthy odour and are never cleaned". RK Saini informed TOI, "We have replaced the warden after consulting with the vice- chancellor, who is currently out of station. Upon his return, a meeting will be arranged between the students and the VC to address the issue. In the meantime, I have issued directives to the housekeeping department to ensure thorough cleanliness of the hostel premises and guarantee that the students receive all essential facilities."