RONO HILLS, May 3: In yet another clarification of the varsity’s stand regarding the decision to close all its hostels and suspend offline classes which has come into effect from May 1, the Rajiv Gandhi University authority on Monday said such measures had to be taken only for the safety of its student and researcher community.  
Referring to the plea of a few research scholars under the banner of Rajiv Gandhi University Research Scholars’ Forum (RGURSF) which sought permission to stay at hostels, the RGU authority through its press release containing the said clarification expressed its incapacity to meet the request, reasoning that it’s the only way to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in the campus. 
The release issued by Registrar Dr N.T. Rikam reiterated that the decision was not unilateral and was taken following a series of meetings with the stakeholders and keeping in view the decision of the state government to close down all educational institutions in Arunachal Pradesh w.e.f. May 1. “Since the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic is much deadlier in comparison to the first and safety and security of students is of paramount importance, it was felt to be disastrous to allow them to live in the hostels during such pandemic,” the release clarified. 
The varsity authority has taken note of the fact that Covid-19 positive cases are rising in the campus and a case has also been detected in one of the hostels, adding that appropriate care has been taken through arrangement of an isolated accommodation for the infected student within the campus itself. In such a situation if hostels are kept open, the outbreak would take a critical turn in the campus which would be detrimental to the lives of the boarders and campus dwellers as well and may subsequently prove beyond control and fatal for several people, the release read. However, the RGU authority has assured the research scholars that with the exception of their demand for opening of hostels, all other issues could be considered and addressed. 
Meanwhile, referring to the protest staged by the research scholars on April 28 last in front of the administrative block, the varsity authority recalled that it did not prevent them from staging protest although the Disaster Management Act, 2005 was in operation. But when the protesters started entering into the office premises of the Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat sloganeering all the way and obstructing the normal functioning of the office with the intention of entering the chamber of the Vice Chancellor, the university authority was left with no other option but to call the District Administration and police for maintaining law and order, the release went on to clear the air of mistrust.  It also  recalled the April 28 meeting the varsity authority had with the student representatives including AAPSU leaders in presence of Superintendent of Police and SDPO, Papum Pare, Sub-Divisional Officer, Doimukh, Registrar, Director (IQAC), Chief Warden and others wherein an understanding was reached that students (research scholars) will abide by the notification and vacate hostels on May 1 with the option of keeping their belongings in their respective hostel rooms. “The University always welcomes constructive criticism and dissent from all stakeholders including students, but given the present circumstances when the pandemic is turning worse, the university cannot afford to allow laxity in the name of dissent,” the release added.  

Regarding the issue of show cause notice issued to research scholar Prem Taba that has now gone viral on print and electronic media, RGU authority has said it’s in line with the official procedure as per university rules, mentioning along with that written complaints have been received from different forums/associations against Taba for his unacceptable behaviour in public and on social media platforms.  The varsity authority has further made it clear that asking to serve show cause notice within a given period of time is a normal procedure and there has not been any such decision whatsoever to rusticate or discontinue Taba’s scholarship without hearing his point of view or explanation. 
The varsity has further made it clear that the statements repeatedly carried out in newspaper(s) and social media platforms claiming that RGU research scholars are being allowed to remain in hostels are false and misleading. RGU PR 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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