Gurugram: After a violent crackdown by the administration, students who led protests at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) in Hisar against changes to scholarship policies have expanded their demands, now calling for the removal of the vice-chancellor and the rollback of several policy changes.
While the university has said it has put controversial stipend rule changes on hold, students say there has been no official notification to that effect.
The agitation, which erupted in the first week of June, was initially sparked by changes to HAU’s stipend policy for Master of Science (MSc) and PhD students. Previously, students with an Overall Grade Point Average (OGPA) above 7.5 received Rs 6,000 for MSc and Rs 12,000 for PhD monthly, while others received Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively.
The new policy restricted stipends to only the top 25 percent of students, regardless of OGPA.
On 10 June, students staged a peaceful sit-in outside the Vice-Chancellor Dr Baldev Raj Kamboj’s office, demanding the restoration of the original stipend structure aligned with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) norms.
The protest turned violent that evening when security guards, allegedly acting on orders from registrar Pawan Kumar, professor Radheshyam Sharma, and chief security officer Sukhbir Singh, used sticks and batons to clear the protest.
More than 20 students, including women scholars, were injured, with Deepanshu Kadian, a first-year student of BSc (Agriculture) requiring six stitches for a head injury and a Chakshu, final-year student of BSc (Agriculture), needing 30 stitches for his injury.
Medical Legal Reports (MLRs) from Civil Hospital Hisar, confirmed that several students had suffered blunt force trauma.
An FIR was lodged on 11 June at Hisar Civil Lines police station, charging eight university officials, including professor Radheshyam Sharma, under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 190 (unlawful assembly), 191(2) and 191(3) (rioting, including with deadly weapons), and 351(3) (criminal force causing grievous hurt).
On 13 June, Sharma was arrested and subsequently suspended by the university.
The university also announced the suspension of the stipend policy changes and, on 14 June, Haryana Minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa assured students that the matter would be addressed and those involved in the assault would be suspended.
However, students are still dissatisfied, citing the lack of accountability from higher officials.
The assault on students has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who have accused the Nayab Singh Saini-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of mishandling the situation at Haryana’s premier agricultural institution.
Also Read: How a change in stipend rules in Haryana’s premier agricultural university put students on warpath
Expanded list of demands
A charter, dated 12 June, expands the list of the students’ demands, including the immediate resignation of the V-C, who, they said, was morally and directly responsible for the violent crackdown. They accused Kamboj of not only being present during the attack and failing to intervene, but also threatening to crush them under a vehicle.
Speaking to ThePrint, Deepanshu emphasised the lack of direct communication from the administration. “The university claims they have accepted our demands, but we have not been given anything in writing. Why doesn’t the VC speak to the students and tell them what all demands have been admitted?”
He alleging that Kamboj’s leadership has “vitiated the environment” at HAU.
Chakshu added that the administration was using police to pressure students into attending exams they boycotted as a mark of protest, further eroding trust.
The memorandum also demands immediate suspension and removal of the registrar, the chief security officer, director of student welfare Dr M.L. Khichar, as well as the termination of security personnel implicated in the incident and a lifetime ban on their reappointment.
Students have also asked for medical expenses of those injured on 10 June to be fully reimbursed and restoration of Land Donation Villages (LDV) seat policies. They are also seeking guarantees against disciplinary action for protesters, including warnings of expulsion or Career Development Committee (CDC) scrutiny.
Sandeep Arya, HAU’s public relations officer, defended the administration, emphasising that the university had addressed the students’ core demands by suspending the stipend policy changes and maintaining LDV seat rules.
He confirmed professor Sharma’s suspension and arrest, arguing that the students’ refusal to end the protest was driven by “political interference”.
ThePrint reached Vice-Chancellor Kamboj and registrar Pawan Kumar for comment via messages and calls. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Allegations of ‘political interference’
Alumni have said the agitation was symptomatic of deeper systemic issues at HAU, which played a significant role in India’s Green Revolution in the 1960s.
Professor Kuldeep Singh Dhindsa, who was the dean between 1971 and 2005, expressed dismay at the university’s decline. “HAU was once known for its academic excellence and sporting activities, but now, it has become a den of political maneuvering.”
Retired agricultural economics professor and HAU PhD alumnus Arjun Singh alleged rampant corruption under Vice-Chancellor Kamboj’s tenure. “There is a scam worth crores in training programmes meant for Scheduled Castes. Tenders for the Kisan Mela are reportedly awarded to blacklisted companies, and there’s black marketing of seeds. Scientists refusing to sign fake bills are transferred or charge-sheeted,” he alleged.
Singh pointed to the 2024 death of scientist Dr Divya Phogat, who was allegedly mentally harassed and denied opportunities to attend international projects in Mexico and Bangladesh. A memorandum put together by professors, scientists, and union representatives at HAU at the time demanded action against the widespread corruption in the university, black marketing of seeds, and mental harassment of scientists, staff, and students. It also said Phogat underwent severe mental harassment.
The memorandum also alleged interference from the government in the university’s functioning is hampering research and administrative work, and certain sections of the academic community were being deliberately targeted and harassed. They submitted the memorandum to Congress leader and former Union minister Kumari Selja.
“HAU is now a den of corruption and politics,” Singh said, while backing students’ demand for Kamboj’s immediate removal. He alleged that teachers considered not in alignment with the ruling dispensation in Haryana and at the Centre were being targeted in the university.
HAU public relations officer Arya denied allegations of corruption and of Phogat’s harassment, terming them baseless.
The issue also drew the attention of political parties with Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala labelling HAU a “battleground” under the BJP-led Haryana government, demanding the arrest and dismissal of Kamboj, Kumar, and Singh, alongside increased scholarship funding.
Haryana Congress unit leader and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and condemned the lathi charge and supported their demands.
Congress MPs Kumari Selja and Deepender Hooda also visited striking students and offered their support.
In a video posted to his X Monday, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Chautala said that the vice-chancellor of HAU has crossed all limits and brutally crushed the democratic and fundamental rights of the students. “Such dictatorship cannot be tolerated. The V-C must be removed immediately,” he can be heard saying in the video.
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Arjun Chautala condemned the violence as “shameful” and threatened statewide agitation if demands were ignored.
Sanjay Sharma, state spokesperson of the BJP, however, denied any interference in the functioning of the university. “The CCSHAU, like other universities in the state, is an autonomous body. Hence, neither the BJP government nor any other organisation, has any interference in its functioning,” he told The Print.
Meanwhile In a post on X wrestler Bajrang Punia expressed his support for the protesting students. “Joined the protesting students of HAU and stood in solidarity with their struggle. The administration’s lathis may have broken their bones, but not their spirit. This is not just a fight for scholarships, but a battle for rights and self-respect,” he wrote.
HAU के आंदोलनकारी छात्रों के बीच पहुंचकर उनके संघर्ष में शामिल हुआ। प्रशासन की लाठिया सिर्फ छात्रों की हड्डियां तोड़ पाई, हौंसला नहीं। ये सिर्फ स्कॉलरशिप की नहीं, हक और आत्मसम्मान की लड़ाई है।#HAU #HAUuniversity #student #Hisar pic.twitter.com/9ZNFDwE2mA
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) June 13, 2025
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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