TIRUPATI: Students of Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University (SVVU) staged a protest on Wednesday, locking the campus gates and demanding an increase in their internship stipend. The protest, which lasted from 9 am to 6 pm, left university officials and staff stranded outside.
BVSc students locked all the main gates, preventing Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) JV Ramana and university staff from entering for nearly two hours. Additional SP Ravi Manohar Achari attempted to negotiate with the students, but they refused to engage in talks.
The protestors blocked the entry for over six hours, forcing police to escort the officials inside through the west gate. A heavy police presence, including women constables, was deployed to manage the situation.
The students expressed dissatisfaction with the State government’s failure to address their demand for an increase in the internship stipend from Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,500.
Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) Ramana appealed to parents to counsel their children, assuring that the government was reviewing the issue and would resolve it soon.