No classes, only labour: HBTU debars 11 students for 15 days over involvement in brawl
The punishment comes in the wake of a late-night brawl on October 4 allegedly triggered by junior students not greeting their seniors with a “namaste”. The clash, which involved students allegedly under the influence of alcohol, began near a traffic crossing outside the university and escalated into a full-blown altercation on the Raman Hostel premises.
In an unusual disciplinary move, Kanpur’s Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU) has debarred 11 engineering students suspended for their involvement in a brawl from taking mid-semester exams and attending regular classes, directing them instead to take up manual work on campus -- from cutting grass to digging soil -- for the next 15 days.
The punishment comes in the wake of a late-night brawl on October 4 allegedly triggered by junior students not greeting their seniors with a “namaste”. The clash, which involved students allegedly under the influence of alcohol, began near a traffic crossing outside the university and escalated into a full-blown altercation on the Raman Hostel premises.
Of the 11 students found guilty of misconduct after a preliminary probe, seven are from the third year and four from the final year. The university has also expelled three of them from the hostel.
“This was not just a violation of university discipline but a clear case of physical violence under intoxication. Disciplinary action has been taken as per the university’s zero-tolerance policy towards such behaviour,” said professor Alok Kumar Singh, dean of student affairs (DSW), HBTU.
Rather than resorting to only academic penalties or fines, the administration has chosen what it calls a “reformative approach” aligned with Supreme Court directives on campus discipline, HBDU authorities said. As part of the punishment, the students will work in the university’s gardening unit -- watering plants, trimming overgrown shrubs and maintaining the grounds.
“The intent is not just punitive. The students must understand the dignity of labour and reflect on their actions,” Singh said.
