HRD Ministry sends team to NIT campus in Srinagar

The HRD Ministry is sending a two-member team to NIT Srinagar campus today which has been gripped by tension following clashes among students over the Indian cricket team’s loss against West Indies in the T20 World Cup last week.

“The Ministry has decided to send a two-member team comprising a Director and a Deputy Secretary rank officer, who will listen to the students there,” a senior official said.

Unrest was witnessed again yesterday at the campus, the scene of last week’s clash, with outstation students expressing a sense of insecurity and attempting to leave the campus, leading to a confrontation with police which resorted to lathicharge in which some were injured.

With the situation being tense, CRPF was last night deployed at campus and Jammu and Kashmir government assured full security to the students from other states studying here.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also called up Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and discussed with her the situation at NIT.

On Friday last, the campus had witnessed clashes between local and outstation students over India’s defeat in the semi-final match in the World T20 tournament.

After the clashes, the NIT authorities had shut down the institute which was reopened yesterday.

“We take responsibility all the students of the country studying in NIT. We have put in place all the measures,” the Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had said yesterday.

Administration has held meeting with the NIT students to resolve the issue, Singh said, adding SSP Srinagar is camping in the area to ensure peace.

He said the outstation students are demanding security and postponement of exams.

“Director of NIT has said that the demands have been accepted,” he said.