Students’ body protests against closing down LLB course in govt-aided college in Ghaziabad

Disgruntled students of Mahanand Mission Harijan (MMH) College here staged a protest on Monday expressing anger over the issue of closing down LLB courses even after the admission of more than 250 students this year. The protest was carried out under the banner of ‘Sanyukt Chatra Sangh Sangharsh Samiti’.

Students’ unions of different political parties including the Samajwadi party (SP), NSUI, and ABVP participated in the protest. Ex-president of a students’ union (affiliated with SP) Rohit Baisoya told PTI that the course has been closed by the university to give benefit to the private colleges. After the closing of the law course, the private colleges would charge exorbitant fees, he claimed.

Representatives of the students’ body handed over memorandums to the administration stating that MMH is the only government-aided college which was imparting law education to the poor and middle-class students of the rural background of five districts adjoining Ghaziabad.

Only 250 students were admitted in LLB and thereafter admission procedure was closed and all the admissions were cancelled upon the direction of Vice-Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh University. In its order to the college, the university said the college management had not taken permission to run LLB course under the Bar Council of India (BCI).

Earlier, the BCI had disaffiliated the LLB course being run by the college. The college had filed a petition in Allahabad High Court that was accepted and the court had set aside the case in favour of MMH College on November 16, 2016 and a cost of Rs 25,000 was imposed on BCI. After the HC orders, no permission is required for law classes, the Samiti said in its memorandum. The protesting students tried to burn the effigy of the vice chancellor but police did not allow them to do so. The students’ group had exchanged heated arguments with police but they were soon dispersed.