Ahmedabad: A day after a video of a Nirma University professor holding a student by the collar went viral, the educational institution on Friday formed a high-powered committee comprising three deans and directors. The committee will probe the incident and submit its report in seven days.The video circulated on social media showed the incident from the student fest ‘Technophora’ of the university’s E&I engineering department. After a stand-up comedy act, Professor H K Patel, the head of the department, was addressing the audience from the stage when the student made a quip from a movie, asking him to finish his speech.Sources said Prof Patel asked the student to come on the stage. The much-shared video shows Prof Patel then holding the student by his collar and asking him to behave.Prof R N Patel, director general of Nirma University, said that they have constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident. “Both the professor and the student have apologised to each other. However, the due process will take place. Further course of action will be decided based on the committee’s recommendations,” he said.Meanwhile, both ABVP and NSUI held protests at the university on Friday. In a letter on Friday, NSUI asked the university to conduct an impartial and time-bound inquiry, suspend Prof Patel, speak directly with the student and witnesses, preserve CCTV footage of the incident, take appropriate disciplinary action, and ensure that no student faces any form of retaliation or academic disadvantage for raising his grievance.Various online forums also discussed the incident.
