Of late, the Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The students at the university have written to the Vice-Chancellor voicing concern over the sorry state of affairs in and around the university.
According to reports, the accommodation facilities given to students are pitiable. Numerous cases of contaminated and unhygienic food being served in the university’s mess have come to light. There are some students who have complained that the food being served in the mess has led to food poisoning. They have also complained that water purifiers installed in and around the campus are not functioning properly, and have been installed in unhygienic places.
Despite charging a hefty fee, adequate facilities are not being provided. According to students, the university’s library is not accessible after 8:00 p.m. The hostel timings for girls as well as boys are discriminatory. The boys are allowed to return by 9:00 p.m. whereas the girls need to return by 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. Even basic facilities such as WiFi are not being provided.
There have also been complaints regarding the suffocating environment within the hostel premises. The ceilings get dampened during monsoons and start leaking. Additionally, with three-four people being accommodated in a single room, cross ventilation happens to be a major concern. The toilets are filthy and lack regular maintenance.
Furthermore, students also claim that the university has failed to disclose the way in which the available funds are being spent. The letter throws ample light on the hardships being faced by students due to the absence of basic facilities and amenities.
The students also find the moot court fee worth ₹9,000 pointless, because the varsity provides no training to the students in this regard. Only one “half-hearted” workshop has been conducted thus far. This happens to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Students have also brought to light the fact that no travelling allowance is being given to them in order to participate in various debates and moots. Lack of travelling allowance makes it difficult for students to attend parliamentary debates and discussions.
Students are also demanding a “justification” for levying a journal fee worth ₹1500 as not even a single journal has been published thus far. ₹1000 and ₹2000 is also charged for providing reading material and sports equipment respectively, but neither appropriate study material nor sufficient sports equipment has been provided to the students.
Professor Nishtha Jaiswal, the Vice-Chancellor of the HPNLU, said that she had met the protesting students personally and had assured them that their demands would be met. In order to address the issue revolving around access to clean drinking water, she mentioned that old water purifiers and dispensers would be replaced by new ones. Additionally, the contractor supplying food would also be replaced if the students are not satisfied with the quality of food that is being served.
It is important to note here that the HPNLU does not have a campus of its own at present. It runs out of the premises of the Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy. Now it remains to be seen how quickly and effectively the students’ demands will be addressed.
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