Govt playing politics over AWU, alleges AASU

The All Assam Students Union (AASU) today accused the Assam government of playing politics with the existence of the Assam Women's University (AWU) where students are agitating since March 5 over demands such as appointment of permanent vice-chancellor.

The AASU, an influential students body, took out a rally in Jorhat, in which organisations like Assam Women University Students Forum participated.

"The Assam Women's University is on the boil for nearly a month. But the government is playing politics with the issue and its students," AASU general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi said.

The central government is stressing on the Beti Bachao Beti Prahao and women empowerment schemes but Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have done nothing to solve the issue at the AWU, he claimed.

Students of AWU, the only institute of its kind in the North East, are agitating to press for permanent vice-chancellor and for transforming it into a full fledged university.

Since classes began in 2014, the AWU has been functioning without a Vice Chancellor and any permanent teaching staff. Assam Agricultural University's VC K M Bujarbaruah is functioning as the Mentor and all the teachers have been appointed on contract and ad-hoc basis.

The agitation had been launched on March 5 and protests are being held across upper Assam in support of it.

No formal degree certificates could be awarded to the AWU students and provisional certificates were issued as convocations could not be held without a permanent VC and for other reasons, AWU Academic Registrar Dr L K Hazarika said.

The process for appointment of a permanent VC is in the pipeline, he said.