South Asian University orders Mumbai student to vacate hostel for allegedly instigating students
New Delhi: South Asian University (SAU), an international institution established by the eight member nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), has ordered a female student, Yashada Sawant, to vacate her hostel room within two days. The administration accuses her of "spreading rumours and lies and instigating students against the university.", a report published in Maktoob Media stated.
Yashada Sawant, a second-year postgraduate student from Mumbai, told Maktoob that she has not been provided with any further details regarding the accusations. With the deadline for vacating the hostel ending on Wednesday, Sawant has decided not to move out, citing her lack of a local guardian in Delhi.
Sawant, 25, stated that she had merely discussed the resignation of a senior faculty member with classmates and friends on a WhatsApp group. She recounted receiving a call from the Dean of Students’ assistant later that day, asking her to attend a meeting. During the meeting, Sawant was accused of "instigating" students, but she claims that no evidence or basis for these allegations was provided. She requested a proper inquiry, noting the absence of both the Proctor and the Dean of Students during the meeting.
Sawant told Maktoob, “They were only threatening me and not giving any proof or evidence for such allegations. After the meeting, I got an email stating that I have to vacate the hostel in two days. I don’t know how someone can make such a judgement without any inquiry.”
Maktoob said it has reviewed email correspondence between Sawant and a faculty member, in which Sawant requests a formal inquiry into the allegations before any action is taken. Despite the request, the faculty member stated that the decision to expel her from the hostel remains, without acknowledging the call for formal proceedings. SAU administration has not issued any public statement beyond the notice.
The Rokeya Collective, a student group at the university, issued a statement condemning the move as “a grave miscarriage of justice and a blatant abuse of administrative power.” The statement also highlighted past instances where students were allegedly targeted by the administration without cause. “In the past, we have seen the University administration unjustly target students like Apoorva YK, Bhimraj and Umesh Joshi, who took their cases to the High Court of India. In each of these cases, the students prevailed, and the court’s rulings unequivocally demonstrated that the South Asian University had misused its power and harassed students without any legitimate reason. These repeated judicial rebukes highlight a persistent pattern of misconduct by the University’s Administration,” the statement reads.
Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court overturned SAU’s November 2022 decision to expel two PhD students, Umesh Joshi, Apoorva Yarabhally, and Bhim Raj, for their involvement in a protest demanding a stipend hike in 2020.
In 2023, four professors from the institution faced accusations of “running a Marxist study circle and inciting student protest on campus” and were suspended over allegations of misconduct. These professors, along with nine other faculty members, had protested the university's decision to bring in police during a student protest.
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
