Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University director calls it quits

LUCKNOW: The director of University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Prof Kaman Singh resigned on Monday. He was forced to quit after students intensified their 3-day protest demanding his removal for allegedly slapping a student.

The university also accepted students’ demands of postponing the semester examination scheduled from December 8, after which the students called off their protest. The examinations will now be held in January.

In his resignation mailed to officiating vice-chancellor Prof NMP Verma, Singh said it was not possible for him to continue as director of the institute under the prevailing circumstances.

Singh said he had emailed his resignation to the VC on Sunday evening which was accepted on Monday.

He refused further comment. “Prof Singh resigned as students were not cooperating with him. We have accepted his resignation and a new director will be appointed shortly,” the VC said.

Students raised a loud cheer when the news of Prof Singh’s resignation came around 3pm on Monday who were sitting on dharna outside the administrative building since morning.

“We are happy that a new director will be appointed. Prof Kaman Singh was not from the engineering department and hence did not understand our problems,” said BBAU student Abhishek Mishra.

The tension between the students and UIET director began on Friday when a group of engineering students vandalized university property after one of them was allegedly slapped by Prof Singh when they met him to seek postponement of examinations.

The tension escalated on Friday with the students allegedly coming to blows with the director.

On Saturday, a voice recording and video of Singh, where he was seen assaulting and abusing students who were protesting for postponement of the examinations, went viral on social media.

The student made a call to all university to students through social media to join their protest on Monday.

The student groups visited every department and hostel to gather support and later sat in front of the administrative building for more than five hours raising slogans against Prof Singh.