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HPU Violence Continues: Stone pelting in presence of police, 15 injured, 13 arrested

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SHIMLA- Bloody student clash at Himachal Pradesh University campus between two student outfits that had begun on October 2 continued on Monday despite deployment of heavy police/QRT force. Even presence of higher police officials including the Additional Director General Police AP Sadiki and Superintendent Shimla Police DW Negi couldn’t prevent fresh clashes.

Unfortunately, the National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC) team, which is on inspection of varsity for determination of grade and academic standards, also witnessed the tension between students.

Read/Photos: Bloody clash at HPU campus ahead of crucial NAAC team visit, 18 injured, 6 arrested

On Monday Morning, ABVP workers allegedly dragged two tribal students including the president of HPU Tribal Student Association Arun Rana and his friend out of a car and launched an assault in the presence of police. Two tribal students were going to receive the NAAC team when they were attacked at the Summerhill Chowk. Attackers hurled casteist comments with vulgar abuses and life-threats, injured Rana told Himachal Watcher over phone.

He also alleged that on September 29, 2016, tribal students had lodged a complaint at Summerhill Police Post regarding casteist commenting by ABVP activists.

Stone Pelting

This attack in the morning was followed by protests from both groups that turned into brawl and concluded with stone pelting near the Vice-Chancellor office in afternoon. About 13-15 students sustained injuries and created a bloody scene at the campus.

Four FIRs Lodged Since Saturday

About 13 students associated with SFI were arrested and cases were register under Sections 147, 148, 149, 307, 323 and 506 of IPC.

Meanwhile, SFI alleged that despite FIR registered by the attacked tribal students, no ABVP worker was arrested. Police had already arrested 10-12 SFI activists after initial clashes on Saturday night and Sunday. SFI has alleged one sided police action in the case.

So far, four FIRs including two on Saturday have been lodged. Both SFI and ABVP had lodged FIRs following violence on Saturday night.

Police Attitude Questionable

Considering the fact that NAAC team is on visit from October 3 to 6, Shimla Police officials didn’t seem much concerned with violence. As alleged by both ABVP and SFI, police force watched the brawl and violence like mute spectators . Earlier last year, when the students were protesting against massive fee hikes and poor implementation of RUSA, the SP, DW Negi, had unleashed QRT on students like hungry hounds. For about three months Section 144 was imposed at the campus to prevent further student protests. Now, when the NAAC team is at the varsity, a crucial visit on which future of varsity depends, SP Negi is silent. Armed students were seen flashing sharp-edged weapons since Sunday in the presence of police, which is surprising as well as questionable.

NAAC Team Visit Amid Violent Clashes

It is unfortunate for the varsity that during crucial four-day visit of NAAC team, students presented such an ugly image of campus environment, which is hardly acceptable. The NAAC team that had arrived at varsity on Monday carried out their inspection under heavy security. Entire varsity has been turned into a fortress with deployment of additional police and QRT forces like the varsity is located near LoC. Along with visiting various varsity facilities NAAC team interacted with the teaching and non-teaching staff and students to assess the facilities provided to them. NAAC team members did question the violence between students and expressed concern over its affect on academic environment.

Another considerable aspect of this violence is that it’s not ideological battle; rather it is taking a form of a vicious cycle of vengeance that will only bring more bloodshed. When the institute has become a hub of corruption, youth of Himachal should have united against administration. However, student organizations prefer to remain divided and shed blood of their own people.

Madan has studied English Literature and Journalism from HP University and lives in Shimla. He is an amateur photographer and has been writing on topics ranging from environmental, socio-economic, development programs, education, eco-tourism, eco-friendly lifestyle and to green technologies for over 9 years now. He has an inclination for all things green, wonderful and loves to live in solitude. When not writing, he can be seen wandering, trying to capture the world around him in his DSLR lens.

Campus Watch

Nauni Varsity Scholar Naincy Bags Scholarship to Pursue PhD in France

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Solan: Naincy Sagar, an alumna of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni has bagged a fellowship for pursuing PhD from France. Nancy has reached France and will be pursuing PhD in Forest Genetics from the University of Orléans under INRAE fellowship. INRAE is France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Naincy has completed her BSc Forestry from College of Horticulture and Forestry (COH&F), Neri in 2018 and MSc Forest Biology and Tree Improvement and Genetic Resources from UAS, Dharwad, under ICAR’s National Talent Scheme. Before leaving for France last week, Naincy was working as a Junior Research Fellow in a research project at COH&F, Neri.

She had applied for a PhD with a scholarship in Forest Genetics which was advertised by INRAE. Naincy was successful in the interview and was awarded a fellowship for three years for pursuing PhD at the University of Orléans. During the course of the PhD, she will receive a total scholarship of around Rs 70 lakh along with medical reimbursement. Naincy will be working on forest tree larch species in the Project titled ‘Vigour at what cost? ‘Trade-off’ of hybrid vigour in Larch-Phenological, morphological and physiological determinants of hybrid superiority in Larix X eurolepis’ with a team of 20 scientists of Joint Integrated Biology Research Unit having expertise in genetics, genomics and physiology for the enhancement of tree and forest diversity

Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor of the university spoke to Naincy via web conferencing and congratulated her. Dr. Kaushal, who has also done his doctorate from France, shared some tips and suggestions. He asked Naincy to explore this opportunity to learn about new cultures along with doing research that could help to enhance and conserve forest wealth in the future.

Naincy expressed gratitude towards her father Satya Prakash Sagar (Retd. SDO BSNL) and mother Monika Sagar, who is working as SDO in BSNL for their continuous support for higher studies. She also thanked Vice-Chancellor Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Dean Dr. Kamal Sharma and Dr. Dushyant Sharma, Project Investigator and all the university staff for their support and guidance. The university administration, Dean of COH&F Neri congratulated Naincy and wished her success.  

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HP University Extends College Admission Date for 2021-22 Session Till Oct 25

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Shimla-Dates for admissions to undergraduate courses for the session 2021-22 in colleges affiliated to Himachal Pradesh University has been extended, which has come as a relief to not only those students who were seeking fresh enrollments in the first year but also to the students of the second and third year. 

The varsity informed that the decision was taken after considering requests received from various students regarding the same.  

Now, willing students can apply for enrollment in both government and private colleges till 5 PM, October 25, 2021.

This extension of date would benefit students who recently passed supplementary exams or those students of the second and third-year who had missed admission due to delay in declaration of their previous results.

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UHF Nauni Extends Admission Dates for UG, PG, PhD Till Oct 18

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Solan– Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, has extended the last date for applying to various Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral programmes in Horticulture, Forestry, Biotechnology, Agribusiness and Business Management. Applicants can submit their complete online application on the university’s admission portal till 18th October.

The normal seats of BSc (Hons) Horticulture, BSc (Hons) Forestry and B Tech Biotechnology will be filled on the basis of scorecard of ICAR-AIEEA (UG) 2021.

Admissions to MSc, MBA (Agribusiness) and PhD (for normal and self-financing seats) will also be conducted on the scorecard of ICAR AIEEA (PG) and AICE-JRF/SRF respectively. Students who have appeared in the ICAR-AIEEA 2021 for UG and PG, or AICE-JRF/SRF examination and are interested in seeking admission, such students must fill the university online application form before 18th October. Undergraduate aspirants who have not appeared in the ICAR test can however apply for the self-financing seats for B Sc and B Tech Biotechnology programmes run by the university by filling the online application on the university website.

The university has also advised the registered candidates to submit complete online application forms along with online payment acknowledgement slip before the due date. The schedule for online counselling will be announced by the University on the website after the declaration of the ICAR examination result. Application forms other than online mode will not be accepted.

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