Three HCU students on indefinite hunger strike over six demands

Three students of the University of Hyderabad, affiliated with the All India Students' Association (AISA), began an indefinite hunger strike on August 20 at the North Shopcom. The students, Srestha, Sidhant, and Riya, are demanding menstrual leave, a Rs 3,000 University of Hyderabad Student Assistance (UoHSA) fellowship for every eligible student without the 1,200-recipient cap, an end to backlog and 75% attendance barriers in UoHSA, attendance relaxation for chronically ill and disabled students, mandatory gender-sensitisation workshops, and remedial classes for students facing structural inequalities.

The protesters have alleged that the administration has not allowed them to erect tents, leaving them exposed to heat and rain. Siasat.com reports that the administration has not responded to the demands yet. The News Minute adds that on August 22 a medical officer checked the strikers and advised ORS due to declining sugar levels, and that the administration sent security to ask the students to meet the Registrar, but the students demanded the Registrar visit the protest site instead. The strike follows a visit by AISA national president Neha Bora on August 17, who had earlier led a 23-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.