Rajasthan College Principal Apologises in Writing After Student Misbehaviour Row

The principal of Seth Netram Maghraj Tibrewala Government Girls College in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, apologised in writing after students staged a major protest over allegations of inappropriate behaviour with a female student. Principal Manoj Kumar Kulhar faced criticism after videos of the demonstrations circulated on social media. Students demanded an apology and assurances that similar conduct would not happen again, leading to a confrontation on the college campus.

According to students who participated in the protest, the incident occurred on August 19 when a student was allegedly pulled by her hair by the principal over where she was sitting. The protesters also alleged that offensive language was used against the student. The college, which has around 2,000 students, witnessed demonstrations following the incident, with students demanding respectful treatment and a safe environment on campus.

Priya Mitharwal, who led the protest and is also a district secretary of the Students' Federation of India, alleged that students were angered by the principal's conduct. She said that if the student had violated any college rule, appropriate disciplinary action could have been taken instead of physical contact. Students subsequently locked the college's main porch gate as they pressed for an apology and action over the alleged incident.

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The principal initially questioned how students could demand an apology but later issued a written apology to the student. The apology was handwritten in Hindi and addressed directly to the student. However, protesters said they wanted a written assurance that such behaviour would not be repeated. While the principal reportedly gave a verbal assurance, students said this was not included in the written apology.

The allegations have been disputed by members of the college staff. Shourya Buri, an assistant professor at the institution, denied that the principal had misbehaved with the student or pulled her hair. He said the principal had merely touched the student in his capacity as a guardian and described Kulhar as a supportive administrator who had been working for the college's development.

Police said the matter was being handled at the college administration level and that the situation had returned to normal after the principal's written apology. The allegations remain part of the ongoing inquiry into the incident. The episode has nevertheless sparked debate over appropriate conduct by college authorities and the need to ensure that disputes between students and administrators are handled through established institutional procedures.

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