Students from Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president Ronak Khatri pasted cow dung over the walls of Principal Pratyush Vatsala‘s office on Tuesday as a controversial protest at Delhi University’s Lakshmibai College got underway. The action came in a moment of spontaneous response to a widely circulated video in which the principal pasted walls of classrooms at a school under her charge in a bid to overcome the encroaching summer.
Students Protest
The incident came after students protested against the use of cow dung in classrooms under the pretext of not having permission and sanitation. Khatri went against academic members during the protest, stating, “If you want to do research, do it at your home. No students were consulted.”.
The project was previously sponsored by Principal Pratyush Vatsala and he described it as having been undertaken under a faculty-guided research project on indigenous and sustainable cooling technology. She further stated that the experiment was still in progress and that after the research was done, the results would be published.
She explained she had acted out of a misinterpretation by stating, “There is no harm in touching natural mud.” Internal communication reported that she had posted a WhatsApp group message to alert staff that C Block classrooms were preparing to receive this “pleasant” update
The Delhi University administration has not yet given a formal response to the protest, but earlier comments had likened the program to scientific research into climate-friendly temperature management practices, which is particularly relevant given Delhi’s increasing summer temperatures.
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