Rohtak : Facing Rs 2 ,000 fines for installing coolers in their rooms, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) hostel students protested on the campus on Tuesday, with some gathering outside the vice-chancellor’s residence and climbing its boundary wall.




The students said the university’s chief warden imposed the fine during recent hostel inspections. They also alleged that a Rs 1,000 fine was imposed when a student was found accommodating a friend from another hostel.




The students demanded action against chief warden Prof Sudhir and withdrawal of the fines. Following the protest, MDU registrar Prof Sandeep Bansal reached the spot and assured them that a 22-member committee would be formed to address hostel-related issues. The students then returned to their hostels.




Students said they had installed coolers to cope with the heat and alleged that the chief warden had been conducting inspections for several days.




INSO state president Deepak Malik alleged that students were being treated unfairly, pointing out that they paid the electricity bill for air conditioners installed in hostel wardens’ rooms while being barred from installing coolers in their own rooms.




Malik alleged that Prof Sudhir was harassing students and said such treatment would not be tolerated. The students warned that they would not allow the chief warden to enter the hostels after 8pm and would launch a larger agitation if their demands were not addressed.




Bansal said inspections by the chief warden were routine. On the students’ allegations, he said the university would consider their demand regarding fines for installing coolers.