Bhubaneswar, July 7(UDN): Academic activities at Rama Devi (RD) Women’s University were disrupted on Tuesday after students staged a protest over the alleged entry of unauthorised persons into the campus, demanding immediate measures to strengthen security and ensure the safety of students.
The protest intensified as students locked the university’s main gate, temporarily restricting the movement of people in and out of the campus. Raising slogans, the agitating students accused the university administration of failing to prevent repeated incidents of outsiders entering the premises despite security arrangements at the entrance.
According to students, a few non-students allegedly gained access to the campus, triggering concern among those studying and residing in the university. The individuals were reportedly detained for questioning, following which students gathered in large numbers to voice their apprehensions over campus security.
The protesters demanded that entry to the university be restricted strictly to authorised persons and called for a robust visitor verification system. They also sought enhanced surveillance, stricter monitoring at entry gates and greater accountability from the university administration to prevent such incidents in the future.
Maintaining that student safety should remain the institution’s foremost priority, the protesters questioned how unauthorised individuals were able to enter a women’s university despite the presence of security personnel.
Following the demonstration, police from Saheed Nagar Police Station reached the campus and held discussions with the students to bring the situation under control. Senior university officials, including the Vice-Chancellor and faculty members, also interacted with the agitating students and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
The university administration is understood to be examining measures to tighten campus security, including stricter access control, improved identity verification for visitors and enhanced surveillance systems.
While normalcy was gradually restored after the discussions, students reiterated their demand for concrete security reforms to ensure a safe and secure environment for all students on the campus. The university is yet to issue an official statement detailing the outcome of the deliberations or the measures proposed in response to the incident.