NEW DELHI: Former union minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel on Tuesday extended his support to the students of GB Pant Engineering College (GBPEC), sitting on dharna outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.
Students of GB Pant Engineering College began a hunger strike on Tuesday demanding inclusion of the institute in the admission counselling after it was dropped by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University from the list. They fear that the Delhi government may shut down the college, the move will jeopardize their placement opportunities.
Goel along with Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana, DUSU president Akshay Dahiya and ABVP secretary Siddharth Yadav joined the protest of the students. Goel said the varsity officials had accepted that the GBPEC is no more in its list and there would be no admission in this academic year. “This engineering college has been affiliated with GGSIP University since 2007.
Removal from the university’s admission counseling list will impact third-year students as there may not be any campus placements because no company would want to hire students from a college which is shutting down,” he said.
Attacking the government, the BJP leader said that Kejriwal Government had promised to open 20 new degree colleges while they are shutting down their engineering college. "The act proves that higher education is not a priority of the state government," said Goel.
Later, north Delhi mayor Jai Prakash also met the students to support their cause. He said, "There is a need to open more and more schools, colleges and universities for the future of the students. It is unfortunate; the Delhi government is closing college. They are playing with the future of students."
Protest over admission process
Students of GB Pant Engineering College began a hunger strike on Tuesday demanding inclusion of the institute in the admission counselling after it was dropped by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University from the list.