Agra students do a ' Sholay' act atop a water tank

Agra, May 13 (ANI): Six agitating students of the Bhim Rao Ambedkar University at Agra on Tuesday climbed atop a water tank and threatened to commit suicide if their demands are not met.

The students who belong to the National Students Union of India (NSUI) were demanding the implementation of a scheme according to which the fees of students belonging to families with an annual income of less than one hundred thousand rupees are to be paid by the Social Welfare Department of the state government.

The students claimed that whereas all other universities did abide by this directive, Agra University was yet to implement it.

Further the students said that the university authorities had turned a deaf ear to their repeated requests for the past one year which in turn forced them to resort to this step of public demo atop a water tank.

"The Uttar Pradesh government came up with an order in 2006-2007 that the fees of students belonging to families with an income less than one hundred thousand rupees whether belonging to backward castes or general category would be pardoned. But this Government order has not been implemented so far in our University," said Devesh Rajput, a student.

The students also accused the University authorities of denying those students who were unable to pay the fees from appearing in the examinations.

However, the registrar of the university feigned ignorance of any directive issued by the government vis-à-vis the fees of students belonging to poorer sections of the society.

"I have asked them to show the Government order. It is our prime responsibility to implement the Government order. We will definitely implement the order of the government if there is any," said Om Narayan Singh, Registrar, Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra.

These students remained atop the tank for four hours before the Agra city's Superintendent of Police reached the spot and persuaded them to come down and took them to the Registrar of the University. (ANI)