{
  "id": 8814504,
  "title": "At India’s only university dedicated to Hindi, a 4-year-old dispute erupts into student protests, FIR",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/at-indias-only-university-dedicated-to-hindi-a-4-year-old-dispute",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T01:30:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mgahv-university-wardha-student-protest-10886658/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four years ago, the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAHV) in Maharashtra’s Wardha relocated two of its departments to its regional centre in Prayagraj, claiming it would increase enrollment and that the transfer was done for the \"public good.\" Today, the move is at the heart of a three-month-long protest, resulting in an FIR against six students. The students have now sought support from the Cockroach Janta Party, with their leader Abhijeet Dipke stating that requesting basic necessities should not be a criminal act. The protests began on July 3 when more than 250 students submitted a petition to the administration, demanding the reopening of two departments - Women Studies and Film Studies - as well as the restart of PhD admissions halted since 2022 and the revival of discontinued diploma and certificate courses. The students also aim to reinstate language programmes for English, French, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and Urdu. On August 20, the protesting students gathered near the university's administrative building. That night, an FIR was filed against six students accused of wrongful restraint, obstructing a public servant, and common intention. They allegedly locked all entry and exit gates of the university, preventing officials from leaving, and blocking Vice-Chancellor Kumud Sharma's vehicle as she departed. The university also accused the students of not seeking permission for the protest. The university has now proposed an independent inquiry, pending which the six students and research scholars have been barred from entering the campus. The administration stated that all six are facing bailable offenses and are not being treated as criminals. The police also mentioned that the university employees called emergency services after the students locked the building. The demands of the protesting students include the revival of Women Studies and Film Studies departments, resumption of PhD admissions, and the reopening of discontinued diploma and certificate courses. Founded in 1997 as a Central University, MGAHV shifted these programs in 2022, but now only a handful of students remain in these departments. Faculty members claim that the regional centre in Prayagraj lacks proper facilities and has been causing significant academic disruption for existing PhD students.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya relocated departments to Prayagraj in 2022.",
    "Three-month protest began July 3 over reopening departments and resuming PhD admissions.",
    "Six students accused of wrongful restraint and obstructing a public servant."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The standoff between students and administration at Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya signals a rift over the university's strategic direction, with students resisting changes imposed in the name of public good.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}