In a dramatic escalation of grievances, approximately 4,000 students at VIT University Bhopal campus in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district unleashed widespread unrest late Tuesday night, igniting multiple vehicles and inflicting substantial damage on key university infrastructure, including the chancellor’s bungalow, amid mounting fury over a severe jaundice outbreak that has afflicted dozens.

The unrest stemmed from a cluster of around two dozen students falling ill with jaundice symptoms in recent weeks, which protesters attributed to chronic lapses in hygiene standards, contaminated drinking water supplies, and substandard food quality within the hostels, prompting a mass gathering that quickly spiralled into acts of vandalism and confrontation with campus security.

Aggrieved students voiced vehement accusations against the administration, detailing repeated instances where their formal complaints regarding these health hazards were met with outright dismissal, coupled with reports of aggressive retaliation from staff and guards, including verbal threats and physical confrontations designed to muzzle dissent and perpetuate a culture of enforced silence.

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As the demonstrations intensified near the hostels and main entrance, with throngs chanting anti-management slogans, authorities swiftly mobilised police contingents from Sehore and adjacent regions to restore order and avert further escalation, successfully containing the immediate threats while underscoring the volatile undercurrents of unresolved student welfare concerns.

In the aftermath, the university administration has shuttered the Bhopal campus until November 30 to facilitate de-escalation and safety assessments, with a significant number of students already departing for their homes; officials are now compiling a registry of affected individuals to process formal redressal applications, as investigations into the outbreak's origins, alleged assaults, and property destruction proceed under close scrutiny.

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