Post Vemula’s Suicide, Hyderabad University Gets Fewer Applicants

The university, which usually sees 10-20 percent rise in applications every year, saw a marginal dip.

Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar from the University of Hyderabad, hanged himself in a hostel room. (Photo: Twitter)

After many years, the University of Hyderabad has seen a marginal decline in the number of applications received this year.

While the university authorities attributed the marginal dip to the discontinuation of nine courses (mostly research courses) due to insufficient faculty strength, students were of the view that it was due to the unrest on campus following the suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula.

Excerpt from a report published in <a href="http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31809&amp;articlexml=UoH-sees-decline-in-no-of-applications-this-12062016003021">The Times of India</a>

We were all very worried about the admissions this year, but there has not been a drastic impact of the stir. It could be that the impact was not huge because we are rated as one of the best universities in the country by the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) as well as other organisations.

Vipin Srivastava, Pro Vice-Chancellor of UoH

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice (JAC) lashed out at the administration for allegedly putting white paint on the walls where there were various paintings in favour of the protest after Rohith’s death.

They also alleged that the ‘whitewashing’ was biased as the administration did not cover the slogans of “ABVP’s Bharath Matha,” that was also spray painted on a certain shutter.

Joint Action Committee for Social Justice (Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Joint Action Committee for Social Justice-UoH)