The Rajasthan government is preparing to change the way it handles protests by Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha students. Police will now focus on dialogue rather than immediately resorting to force if school and college students take to the streets over their demands.
Several Student Protests Reported Recently
A similar protest was reported from Saidpura in Bharatpur’s Uchchain area, where students and villagers raised the issue of inadequate teaching staff. The proposed SOP comes amid a series of protests by school students across Rajasthan. Students in Alwar’s Thanagazi, Luni in Jodhpur and Bharatpur have recently taken to the streets over issues related to school infrastructure and teacher shortage. In Jodhawas village of Thanagazi, students protested after a portion of the roof of a dilapidated school building collapsed. Following the protest, officials from the administration and Education Department reached the spot and agreed to the students’ demands. In Luni, students locked the gates of a government school to protest teacher shortage. The priority should be to understand the demand and the underlying problem.
Student protests should not be viewed only through the lens of law and order, according to Bedham.
Under the proposed framework, experienced officers will reach the spot, speak to the students and understand their grievances.
The Home Department is preparing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling student protests. Under the proposed framework, experienced officers will reach the spot, speak to the students and understand their grievances. The emphasis will be on finding a solution at the earliest, preferably at the protest site itself.
