Protesting students of the Delhi Technological University met top officials of the Delhi government on Tuesday. Over four hours of deliberations held at two venues,however,could not prove successful as both parties failed to arrive at a consensus. The day began with a students march to the Vidhan Sabha,even as Vice-Chancellor P B Sharma and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister,P K Tripathi,began talks with students representatives. Over two hours later,action moved to Tripathis office,where students spoke to Delhi government officials after successfully requesting that the V-C be kept out of the meeting. Sharma had held talks with the students on Monday,but the students insisted on meeting Delhi government officials claiming that since the government had decided to convert the engineering college into a state university,only it could revoke the decision. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday,however,ruled out any such move. The DTU has already been created and it (decision) cannot be revoked. By not taking the exams students are only damaging their career. Their demands are still quite unclear. Its only today that we have begun to talk to them. We are ready to address their justified demands, she said. Students held on to their two core demands conversion of the engineering college,a constituent college of the Delhi University to a state university,revoked,and removal of Sharma. In fact,while they showed willingness to negotiate on their first demand,they refused to budge on the second. Sharma is an obstacle to peace in the university,and we insist on his removal. The government has,however,conveyed that they will not be able to do so since it has been barely a year he took charge, a student said. More agitation by DU,JNU teachersThe Delhi University Teachers Association began a three-day hunger strike outside the Vice-Chancellors office on Tuesday. DUTA executive members,along with representatives from various colleges,protested on the first day. They would soon be joined by teachers from different colleges. Meanwhile,the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association has also called for a token two-day dharna on campus starting March 25. The JNUTA leaders said their efforts to even get an appointment with top officials of the Ministry of Human Resource Development have been futile. (With inputs from Sobhana K)
