Lucknow University Students Pin Hopes on New Leadership for Campus Improvements
Lucknow University has turned a new page with Professor JP Saini taking charge as vice-chancellor. Students from both the main and second campuses are now looking forward with anticipation. They believe this fresh start might finally bring solutions to problems that have plagued their academic and campus life for years.
Digital Hurdles and Healthcare Gaps Top Student Concerns
In today's connected world, reliable internet is not a luxury but a necessity for education. Students at LU face constant struggles with restricted or painfully slow Wi-Fi. Amitesh Pal, a student, pointed out how this directly impacts their studies. "Open and fast Wi-Fi is a basic academic need," he said. "It hampers everything from research and online submissions to preparing for competitive exams."
Healthcare on campus is another critical area falling short. While a dispensary exists, students report it is poorly stocked. Abhishek Maurya shared his experience, noting that even for minor ailments, essential medicines are often unavailable. This forces students to travel off-campus for basic medical care, wasting both time and money.
Administrative Roadblocks and Safety Worries
For students enrolled at the second campus, simple administrative tasks become major ordeals. Vamika Kesarwani explained the frustration. "For small paperwork like getting a certificate or making a correction, we are told to visit the main campus," she said. This requirement is not just inconvenient; it is costly and eats into valuable study time.
Safety on campus has emerged as a serious worry. Students recounted incidents of physical clashes between hostellers and day scholars. Ansh Singh voiced the collective anxiety. "Such incidents create fear and disrupt the learning environment," he stated. Students are calling for concrete actions: stricter security, comprehensive CCTV surveillance, increased patrolling, and prompt responses from the proctorial board.
Sanitation, Digital Portals, and the Need for a Voice
Basic hygiene remains a pressing issue, especially for female students. Amita Arora highlighted the condition of women's washrooms, which are often unhygienic and lack basic necessities like sanitary pads.
The university's digital infrastructure is also a source of constant frustration. Portals like Samarth and LU Ease, used for scholarships and official documents, are notoriously unreliable. Shivam Sharma described them as slow, glitchy, and prone to crashing during critical submission periods. These technical failures delay important processes and add unnecessary stress.
Perhaps the most fundamental issue is the lack of a proper channel for students to be heard. Akshat Pandey stressed the urgent need for a functional student representative body. "A council is essential for real dialogue," he said. He noted that the current council, formed after a seven-month delay, does not even hold regular meetings, let alone effectively address student grievances.
From Wi-Fi and healthcare to safety and sanitation, the list of concerns is long. As Lucknow University begins this new chapter, its students are watching closely. They are hopeful that under Vice-Chancellor JP Saini's leadership, these long-standing issues will move from being mere complaints to becoming priorities for action.
