The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar got approved in 2009 and became functional in 2010. It was since then, the students at the reputed institute are struggling to get basic amenities as it is running on a rented building. Located in Sumari village in Srinagar Tehsil of Garhwal district in Uttarakhand, the work for a permanent campus has not yet started. Angry with the ignorance of the government towards the demand of a permanent campus, reportedly above 500 students of NIT Srinagar left the institute on October 23. JEE Main 2019: Exam Centres, City & Shift Details Announced Online. 

The institute is situated on a national highway and time and again, NIT Srinagar has been appearing in the news after students met with accidents while going to their labs from college. The situation took an ugly turn, when one student on October 3 was hit by a car. Annoyed students went on strike the next day, October 4. After their cry was unheard, TOI reported that half of the students have already left, and the remaining candidates are waiting for transport to their native places. The videos surfaced on the internet showing the students’ plight were going viral. But the Minister of State for Higher Education Dhan Singh Rawat reported he was not “aware” of the students’ exit. CLAT Back to Offline Mode! From 2019, Entrance Exam for Law Courses Will Be Conducted in Pen-Paper Format. 

The students before leaving the NIT Srinagar campus, in a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and other authorities, wrote that they would not return until they get a ‘transit campus’ with full services. The media outlets suggest that six students are made to share a 10X8 room, and over 50 students are forcibly made to use one washroom. The student who met the accident, identified as Neelam is still recovering while others are cautious walking on the road.

Not just students, but faculty members at the Institute are also unhappy as they are bound to stay on rent separately. NIT Srinagar has no space at the campus for their teachers too because of which faculty on a regular basis resigns. NIT had to reduce its seats as well because of lack of infrastructure and facilities. Earlier the institute offered over 300 seats for BTech, now had decreased to 150 in the same course. Students also show severe depression as it is difficult to adjust in the mountains to those who are not used to.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2018 11:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).