Pune: Sinhgad Students Barred From NSUI Agitation, Alleges Student Body; Seeks DTE Probe

· Free Press Journal

Pune: A proposed Pune National Students' Union of India (NSUI) agitation outside the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) office over alleged shortcomings in educational and hostel facilities at Sinhgad Institute of Technology did not take place as planned on Thursday, with the organisation alleging that students were not permitted to leave the institute to participate in the protest.

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NSUI had announced the agitation to raise complaints regarding inadequate hostel facilities, irregular offline lectures, shortage of teaching staff and other basic facilities. NSUI district president Adv Abhijit Gore Deshmukh said the organisation had decided to approach the DTE after receiving complaints from students and claimed that the issue had already been brought to the attention of the technical education authorities.

Deshmukh said, “The students had decided to raise their concerns democratically, but they were not allowed to step out and participate in the agitation. Students cannot be prevented from raising legitimate concerns about their education and basic facilities.”

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He alleged that students were paying their academic fees but were not receiving the facilities expected from the institution. “Students are paying the entire academic fees, yet complaints regarding regular offline lectures, adequate teaching staff and basic academic facilities continue to come to us. The DTE must conduct an immediate on-ground inquiry instead of limiting the matter to correspondence,” he said.

A major concern raised by the students, according to NSUI, relates to hostel facilities, particularly cleanliness and health-related issues in the girls’ hostel.

Deshmukh said, “The complaints concerning cleanliness and health in the girls’ hostel are particularly serious. These are not issues that can be ignored because they directly concern the safety and well-being of students.”

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Students who spoke about the issue on condition of anonymity also expressed concern over the hostel conditions and uncertainty surrounding their academic arrangements.

One student told The Free Press Journal on condition of anonymity, “We were willing to participate in the protest and put our concerns before the authorities, but we were not allowed to leave the institute. Students should have the right to raise their concerns peacefully and make their grievances known to the authorities.”

Another student said, “We are also concerned about the proposed shifting from the Narhe campus to the Vadgaon campus. Before taking such a decision, the management should speak to the students and explain why the shift is being proposed and how it will affect our classes, accommodation and daily commute.”

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While highlighting major concerns, another student said, “Our biggest concern is that all these issues should not ultimately affect our academic year. We have taken admission and paid our fees with the expectation that classes, teaching staff and other facilities will be available properly.”

The proposed shifting of students from the Narhe campus to the Vadgaon campus has also emerged as a contentious issue. Deshmukh said, “Students have clearly expressed their views about the proposed shifting from Narhe to Vadgaon. Decisions affecting students cannot simply be imposed on them without hearing their concerns.”

The institute, however, publicly lists hostel and other campus facilities on its website, including separate boys’ and girls’ hostels, mess facilities, security arrangements and medical services. The institute’s published material also lists its Narhe Technical Campus address and administrative contacts.

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Deshmukh said NSUI would continue pursuing the matter before the DTE.

“The DTE administration must inspect the institute, examine the students’ complaints and give them a written and concrete response. Their academic year should not be allowed to suffer because of administrative shortcomings,” he said.

He further warned that the organisation would continue its agitation if the students’ concerns remained unaddressed.

“We will pursue the students’ demands through legal and democratic means until concrete steps are taken. The academic year of the students cannot be allowed to go to waste,” Deshmukh said.

The Free Press Journal contacted Santosh Mahadeo Navale, a member of the managing council of the Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES), which also runs the institute, for the institute’s response to the allegations. Navale initially answered the call and said the concerned person had stepped out of the office and would be asked to call back. However, no response was received subsequently despite further attempts to contact him.

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