UoH students call off five-day hunger strike after assurance on demands

Hyderabad: Students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) have ended their five-day hunger strike after the university assured them that their key demands would be placed before the Academic Council at its meeting in September.

The proposals expected to be discussed include menstrual leave for students and a 15 per cent relaxation in attendance requirements for students with disabilities and those suffering from chronic illnesses.

According to the All India Students Association (AISA), the Academic Council will also consider starting discipline-specific remedial classes from the second week of September. The initiative is proposed to begin at the Schools of Social Sciences and Humanities before being extended to the Centre for Integrated Studies.

AISA said the remedial classes are intended to help students facing language-related barriers in higher education, thereby reducing academic difficulties and the risk of dropouts.

Three AISA members launched the hunger strike on August 20, demanding menstrual leave, wider coverage under the University of Hyderabad Student Assistance fellowship and the clearance of pending fellowship payments.

The students had also sought a Rs 3,000 monthly UoHSA fellowship for every eligible student, without the existing cap of 1,200 beneficiaries. They further demanded that fellowship recipients be exempted from the mandatory 75 per cent attendance requirement.

AISA UoH vice-president Siddhant said the students were seeking menstrual leave only for students at this stage and were hopeful that the Academic Council would approve the proposal following an assurance from the Vice Chancellor.

He said the agitation could resume if the university failed to act on the promises made to the students.