Engineering students from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi, Karnataka, have protested against the university’s ‘Year-Back’ rule, which penalizes students with more than four backlogs by halting their academic progression. The students, who gathered at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Belagavi on Wednesday, October 9, called for the rule to be revoked, as it is causing significant stress and impacting their mental well-being.
Students from Bengaluru, Kolar, Gadag, Hassan, Bagalkote, Vijaypura, Belagavi, and surrounding areas participated in the protest. They expressed concerns that the rule, which only applies to students under the 2022 scheme, is disproportionately affecting around 70% of the student body. They are urging the government to intervene and initiate discussions between students, VTU officials, and education experts to resolve the issue.
In a separate incident, students who visited the VTU campus to discuss their concerns with the university administration were reportedly mistreated by officials and security staff. They allege they were physically assaulted when they requested a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor. Students Vanshi Reddy, Ranjit Gowda, Soubhagya, Chandan, Vishwa, Shreyas, Vivek, and others were present during the incident.
