BHUBANESWAR: Student groups are divided over teachers’ election in the Utkal University campus. One student group demands for teachers’ election in the campus, while the other group opposes it vehemently.There is a dispute between two teacher groups regarding teachers’ association elections. Students have also started taking sides of their teachers. The problem came to the fore after some students along with non-students ran away with the nomination box of the teachers on Wednesday. Later the teacher groups had altercation in a meeting in front of vice chancellor Soumendra Mohan Patnaik.The first group led by Mahesh Prasad on Saturday staged dharna in front of the administrative block of the university demanding teachers’ elections. They shouted slogans like ‘Save Democracy in Vani Vihar’ by flaunting placards. “The vice chancellor should take action against the people who ran away with the nomination box. Democracy should prevail in the university,” he added.He further said the peaceful atmosphere of the campus is getting affected due to the issue. “If this problem continues in the university, it will affect teaching and research programmes. Let the teachers allow to hold their elections freely without any external pressure,” he added.However, the second group led by Nitish Kumar Bhola urged the vice chancellor not to allow teachers’ election in the campus. “If the universities authorities did not allow Students’ Union election in the campus, why it allows the teachers association election? The decision should be taken in a fair and balanced manner,” he added.Bhola said teachers should not involve themselves in petty politics inside the campus instead of concentrating in teaching and research works.Vice chancellor Patnaik said they have started the process to solve the issue. “We have discussed with the student groups and teachers in detail about the issue. I hope everything will be alright soon,” he added.

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