November 2025 Protests
In November 2025, University faced a major jaundice outbreak due to mismanagement and lack of clean water and food. Students allegedly made multiple complaints to management, all of which were ignored. More students kept falling ill. Forced to buy bottled water with their own money, students grew frustrated. When alleged news about 4 deaths of students were spread, one of the confirmed was student Neha Sahukar. [7] Students staged a peaceful protest on 25th November evening. University management quickly squashed it.
The situation exploded when videos surfaced showing management and faculty physically assaulting and mistreating students [8] and taking them away to a secluded Block (Large Dining Hall 2). At 12AM of 26th November, students angered by the abuse and mistreatment (majority of freshers) wore handkerchief masks under hoodies and grouped together outnumbering the guards, breaking out of the gates of their hostels. [9] The students tore apart and destroyed everything they could see, glasses were broken, graffities were drawn citing "Revolution 134", two vehicles belonging to the chancellor, a bus, an ambulance, were burned in the unrest, few guard posts and some rooms in the boys hostel block-1 (belonging to the warden) were broken into and vandalised. The peaceful protest turned riot subsided after police and ABVP intervention and their assurance to hold the management accountable for their gross mismanagement and negligence.
Aftermath
The university officially denied involvement in Neha's death. However, her parents later directly blamed the university and its poor management in an interview. [10] [11] Her medical reports later revealed that a bowel obstruction caused by the contaminated water and food had flared up her dormant TB which then turned into multiple organ failure and her untimely demise.The students now seek better management and basic necessities. [12] The Students further alleged the university is downplaying the numbers and trying to get rid of any accountability. [13]
Students filed FIRs under BNS Sections 191(2), 190, 296A, 115(2), and 351(3) against Asst. Professor Prashant Pandey among other faculties who were seen physically assaulting and manhandling the students in the video which sparked the unrest, management filed FIRs against the students under BNS Sections 190, 191(1), 324(1), and 326(g) for damaging the college properties.
On 28th November, food and water samples were sent to Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department after Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav ordered the formation of a committee to probe into the allegations of poor basic amenities provided by the university. [14] 4 out of 18 water samples sent were found contaminated and unsafe for drinking due to the presence of E.coli bacteria, [15] PHE Department's Executive Engineer Pradeep Saxena confirmed that the presence of such bacteria poses a health risk. Students had reportedly been complaining for several months about illnesses such as jaundice caused by unsafe water, but the university management had ignored these concerns.
Committee Report [16]
The three-member inquiry committee stated in their report that hostel mess services were extremely unsatisfactory, there were no official documented record on how many of the students contracted jaundice. The committee also noted that the campus was turned into a fortress, inside the campus the management have enforced their own rules, no one is allowed to speak about them as if a dictatorship was in place even the Chief Medical & Health Officer of Sehore was made to wait for two hours outside the main gate.
Students informed the committee that they “face the constant threat of harassment if they complain”. “In the name of discipline, their I-cards are confiscated, they are barred from appearing in examinations, threatened with low marks or failure in practical exams,” the report stated, “Complaints regarding food arrangements are not addressed, and students are simply told that they must eat whatever is served,” the committee added. “Anger had been building among students against the fear-based imposed discipline, which the management completely failed to understand,” explaining why the tensions escalated. "Instead of calming the agitation, wardens and guards misbehaved and physically assaulted the students, which further escalated their aggression" leading to riot alike situation.
A show-cause notice to the Chancellor under Section 41(1) of the Madhya Pradesh Private University Act, 2007 was issued demanding an explanation within next 7 days.
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