The administration at VIT Bhopal University allegedly attempted to cover up a jaundice outbreak on campus, according to a report by an official panel formed to investigate the November 25 violence, during which nearly 4,000 students went on a rampage on the varsity premises, The Indian Express reported.
The three-member committee, set up by the Madhya Pradesh Private University Regulatory Commission, found that the university had been converted into a “fortress-like structure” marked by fear-driven discipline, poor food standards and inadequate access to clean drinking water.
The report states that hostel residents widely complained about foul-smelling drinking water and “extremely unsatisfactory” mess services.
The university management admitted that 23 male and 12 female students had contracted jaundice, though the campus health centre could not provide accurate records of the total number of affected students.
“Despite being aware of the spread of the disease, the administration concealed it and attempted a cover-up,” the panel noted.
The violence was triggered after several students fell ill and rumours circulated that three students had died. The university later clarified that two deaths had occurred, both unrelated to jaundice.
According to the report, the administration enforced rules through intimidation rather than trust. Students told the panel that they faced harassment for filing complaints; their ID cards were confiscated, they were barred from examinations, and sometimes threatened with poor grades in practical assessments.
The panel highlighted that the campus had been turned into a restricted zone, even preventing the Chief Medical & Health Officer of Sehore district from entering for two hours. “Inside the boundary walls, the management enforces its own rules. No one is allowed to speak or give feedback,” the report said.
Growing student resentment, the committee found, was ignored by the administration. Matters escalated when students who fell ill were allegedly told to go home instead of being taken to a hospital, provoking anger. The situation worsened when wardens and security guards allegedly misbehaved with and assaulted students.
The administration informed the police only at 2 am, after the unrest had spiralled out of control, according to the committee.
Vice Chancellor K. K. Nair told The Indian Express that the university had not yet reviewed the committee’s findings. He said the panel had discussed only the events on the night of the violence and not issues such as the alleged authoritarian environment on campus.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Department Deputy Secretary Viren Singh Bhalavi has issued a show-cause notice to the Chancellor under Section 41(1) of the Madhya Pradesh Private University Act, 2007, seeking a response within seven days.
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