Cuttack: In a striking display of dissent, students of Ravenshaw University in Cuttack on Thursday took their classes to the roadside to protest the unsafe and dilapidated condition of their classrooms.
The demonstration was led by Plus III second-year arts students, who set up makeshift seating arrangements along the road and continued their lessons in protest. Their symbolic act came after several complaints to the university administration allegedly went unaddressed.
“Our classrooms have been lying in a dilapidated condition for a long time. It’s not safe for us, and nobody bothers to repair it. It’s been over a month, but no one is listening to our pleas,” said one protesting student. Another added, “We had submitted applications earlier. The structure was partially damaged before, but now it’s completely unsafe, and still no repair work has started.”
In a rare show of solidarity, a faculty member joined the students on the road, conducting lessons under the open sky to draw attention to their plight. The teacher reportedly urged the authorities to prioritize safety repairs to ensure an adequate learning environment.
Students alleged that this was not the first time they had raised such concerns. Despite repeated appeals for maintenance and safety inspections, the issue has remained unresolved, leaving them with no alternative but to stage the roadside protest.
As of Thursday evening, university officials had not issued any statement regarding the students’ grievances or the status of repair work.
