Late Tuesday night, what began as desperate cries for safe drinking water and decent food at VIT Bhopal turned into a full-blown campus riot that has shocked the nation. Around 4,000 students stormed the campus in fury after multiple classmates reportedly fell ill with jaundice — triggered, students claim, by contaminated water and unhygienic food.
The protest quickly spiraled out of control. Several buses, cars and even an ambulance were torched. Hostels, cafeteria premises, and various campus facilities were vandalised. In a dramatic turn, protesters even damaged the bungalow of the university’s chancellor.
Students say they repeatedly raised alarms over poor-quality water, substandard mess food, and unsanitary hostel hygiene — but their pleas were allegedly ignored by the administration.In recent weeks, rumours of a jaundice outbreak on campus spread after “two dozen” students reportedly developed symptoms. That ignited panic and distrust among the student body.According to some students, attempts to highlight the issue were met with “mistreatment,” including intimidation and threats from staff and security guards — fueling resentment and anger.
The Night the Campus Exploded
By late Tuesday, thousands of students gathered at hostels and the main gate, raising slogans against the administration. As chaos erupted, several vehicles — buses, cars, an ambulance — were set on fire. Windows were smashed, and even the campus’s RO plant and critical infrastructure reportedly suffered damage.
Videos and images of burning vehicles, shouting crowds and angry students chanting slogans spread rapidly across social media, turning #VITBhopalRiot into a trending tag overnight. Many called it the most violent student protest in recent times.
The university administration responded by declaring holidays until November 30, as police and local officials scrambled to regain control and bring calm.
What University Says — No Deaths, Investigation Underway
In a statement after the unrest, the registrar of VIT Bhopal, KK Nair, denied media reports claiming any student deaths due to jaundice. He said that while a few students had fallen ill, they were under medical supervision and no fatalities had occurred.
Authorities have started collecting statements, lodging formal complaints, and testing water/food samples to determine root cause. Police remain deployed on campus to prevent further escalation.
Why This Is Going Viral — And Why It Matters
- Massive scale: 4,000 students — rarely do protests reach such scale, especially inside a prominent private university.
- Health & Safety Alarm: Alleged jaundice outbreak raises serious questions about basic living conditions in private institutions that charge high fees.
- Campus Violence: Destruction of vehicles & property — and targeting of top-level administration assets — makes this more than a protest; it’s campus anarchy.
- Social Media Buzz: Dramatic visuals, viral posts, student testimonies — the intensity of the incident has grabbed nationwide attention within hours.
- Institutional Accountability: Sparks debates on accountability of private colleges, students’ rights, and health/hygiene standards for hostelers.
