Bhopal News: VIT Students’ Protest; NHRC Notice To PS Higher Education, Food Supplies And Others

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Principal Secretary (Higher Education) , PS (Food Supplies), Commissioner of Police Bhopal and Chairman of the UGC, seeking an action taken report on the complaints alleging severe human rights violations at VIT University, said officials, on Friday. The report is to be submitted in two weeks.

The bench of NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo received a complaint alleging that a large number of students at VIT University have contracted jaundice due to unhygienic food, unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation on the campus. The complaint further claimed that inadequate administrative responses and a lack of transparency allegedly led to unrest among students.

The complainant also alleged possible concealment of health information. Seeking NHRC's intervention, the complainant urged the commission to order an urgent independent inquiry, health audits, corrective measures, and ensure protection for students who raised their voice against the prevailing anomalies at the campus.

The NHRC noted that the allegations in the complaint prima facie indicate violations of the victims' human rights. The commission on Thursday issued notice against the officials directing them to inquire into the allegations made in the complaint and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two weeks.

Violence broke out at VIT University in Sehore after around two dozen students fell ill with symptoms of jaundice. Students alleged that hundreds of their peers had fallen ill due to unhygienic food and water. The situation spiralled out of control as angry students torched buses and cars, damaged an ambulance, and vandalized several parts of the university campus.