HPNLU sit-in protest ends on same day after University responds with written commitments

Students at Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla held a peaceful sit-in on September 14..According to a press statement issued by students, the University administration responded with a written resolution.The students had formally notified the administration about the sit-in in advance. They said that the decision was not taken lightly and followed months of "acute exhaustion and frustration" over unaddressed grievances.The grievances included a 6-day academic week that ignored student feedback from an official survey, withdrawal of a 45-day attendance exemption for internships, a steep hike in backlog revaluation and re-examination fees and unhygienic conditions in the mess..HPNLU Shimla's re-exam fee increases by 400% in 4 months.The sit-in began at the central mess area at 10 AM on Monday. Students called the action a last resort after the timetable survey results went unpublished. Within hours, the Registrar and the Deans of Academic Affairs and Student Welfare met student representatives. By 12:45 PM, the Vice-Chancellor's (VC) Secretariat issued a written response. Classes will now run Monday to Saturday, but Saturdays will be reserved for tutorials and seminars instead of regular instruction. A student's mess committee has been set up to address hygiene concerns. The fee hike has been referred to the University's statutory bodies for its next meeting.On the internship exemption, the administration pointed to Bar Council of India (BCI) norms. These require 20 weeks of internship in the 5-year integrated law course. It said that students could individually seek relaxation from the BCI.