Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Nearly 20 students of Rama Devi Women’s University were detained on the campus Thursday on the suspicion that they might attack Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, even as he and higher education minister Pradeep Panigrahy were delivering speeches during the celebrations of the varsity’s first inaugural day.
The students were released after the Chief Minister and other dignitaries left the university campus.
The detained students belong to the National Students Union of India (NSUI), according to sources. A few days ago, they had said that they would oppose the Chief Minister’s visit to the institution and had also planned to present their demands regarding development of the university to him.
Security was thus tighter than usual with police personnel guarding even the medians. The tight security also saw the Chief Minister left for his office at the secretariat in a vehicle that did not use the beacon and siren.
Patnaik told the students during the ceremony that the government would provide all the support to the university to stand out as a centre of excellence. “I hope the university will initiate studies on women’s empowerment, women’s rights, gender equality,” he said.
During the ceremony, the higher education minister said Khurda district collector has been requested to identify a place soon to set up second campus of university.
“We want to make it a centre of excellence and will strive to ensure that,” said Panigrahy.
Administrators of RD University said that varsity plans to offer new postgraduate courses and establish an incubation centre.
A health centre and a canteen have also been inaugurated at the university.
Those who attended the inaugural ceremony include tourism and culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda, Member of Parliament Prasanna Patsani, Bhubaneswar North MLA Priyadarshi Mishra, BMC mayor Anant Narayan Jena, higher education principal secretary GVV Sharma and RD Women’s University’s officer on special duty Padmaja Mishra.