Hyderabad, Dec 7 (PTI) The University of Hyderabad(UoH) today said the suspension period of seven students, whofaced the action for allegedly manhandling and abusing facultywardens, has been brought down to six weeks from six months.
The university, however, said there is no change inthe two-year suspension period of three other students, whowere also allegedly involved in the incident.
On November 8, the UoH had suspended the 10 studentsfor a period ranging from six months to two years from theacademic programmes and the hostel facilities for "preventing"wardens from discharging their duties on November 3.
These students had then made an appeal to theVice-Chancellor.
Pending consideration of their appeals by theExecutive Council (EC), the university had earlier decided tokeep the suspension order in abeyance and permitted them toappear for the end semester exams.
"After due deliberations, the EC decided to reduce thesuspension period of seven students from six months to sixweeks. With respect to three students whose suspension was fortwo years, the EC took a serious view of their actions andblatant disregard of the University rules, and confirmed theearlier order," the varsity said in a release.
In both the cases, the students will not be entitledto hostel admission upon resumption of their studies, it said.
According to the UoH, the team had found a girlstudent in a male boarder's room against hostel rules.
"When the Wardens asked them for their identity cards,they refused to comply and began raising a hue and cry andstarted shouting slogans. This attracted many other studentswho surrounded the room and began hurling abuses and shoutingslogans too," the varsity said.
"They switched off the lights and manhandled wardensin the dark. While the students confined the wardens in theroom for a long period, they also blocked other wardens fromthe ground floor from approaching this room," it added.
The UoH today reiterated that it becomes theresponsibility of the institution to provide an atmospherewhere men and women study and work together harmoniously,while protecting their respective spaces in a manner that issatisfactory and comforting to incoming students and theirparents.
"No university in the world functions without a codeof conduct for its students, violation of which attractsdisciplinary action," it added.
The suspended students have stated that theallegations against them are "baseless" and "manipulated". PTIVVKNP.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.