Madras university students seek classrooms for social work department, stage stir
CHENNAI: Students of the Master of Social Work (MSW) department of the University of Madras staged a protest in front of the registrar’s office on Friday, highlighting long-pending administrative and academic issues. The students also gheraoed the registrar’s vehicle, demanding immediate intervention.
According to the protesters, the department has been functioning without a permanent head for several months, affecting academic activities. They also alleged that the department does not have dedicated classrooms. “Whenever any classroom elsewhere in the university is vacant, our classes are shifted there. There is no fixed space for us,” a student said.
Students further raised objections to the reduction in financial support for mandatory field visits, a key component of the MSW curriculum. They claimed that the university has cut the proportionate allocation from 100% of the tuition fee collected for fieldwork to just 30%, placing a financial burden on students. Each first year student pays Rs 70,000 annually as course fee, of which Rs 30,000 was earmarked for field visits. Now, it has been reduced to 30%.
“This is a professional course where fieldwork is essential. Reducing the allocation makes it difficult for many of us to complete our training,” said a protesting student.
The students urged the university administration to appoint a permanent head of the department, allot exclusive classrooms and restore the earlier funding pattern for field visits. University officials, however, did not issue any response to the protest.