Students protest at MP’s VIT University after jaundice outbreak: All about it

Protests broke out at VIT University in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore after several students were found to be suffering from jaundice, sparking anger over alleged unhygienic food and water on the campus.

The protests, which started earlier this week, intensified on Tuesday night, forcing the university administration to close the campus for five days.

By Wednesday afternoon, a large number of students were seen leaving the campus as paramilitary personnel took up positions around the campus to prevent further incidents. The unrest broke out after students claimed that several of their classmates had fallen ill in recent days and that their repeated complaints about the quality of food were ignored.

University registrar KK Nair refuted rumors of students’ deaths and clarified that 22 students, including a girl, were found or initially found to have symptoms of jaundice. According to him, they all had gone back to their hometown for treatment and were recovering. He also said that the number of new cases has declined in the last two days.

However, students alleged a much bigger health crisis. Some claimed that around a hundred students needed medical attention and were attacked by guards on duty when they tried to express concern about an incident that led to the violent outburst on Tuesday night. Many vehicles were set on fire during the uproar.

Police sub-divisional officer Akash Amalkar confirmed that the situation deteriorated rapidly around 3 am on Wednesday, forcing police teams from five nearby stations to rush to the premises. He said police eventually managed to restore order before dawn, HT reported.

In an official statement, the university said that between November 23 and 25, district health officials, including the District Medical Officer, Chief Health and Medical Officer and Block Medical Officer, inspected food preparation areas, water sources, sanitation facilities and overall sanitary conditions.

According to the university, officials expressed satisfaction over the arrangements. After the violence, SDM Nitin Tale and SDOP Amalkar again inspected the university on Wednesday morning. The administration later announced holidays till November 30, 2025, saying that student safety is its top priority.

The university said it is continuing to coordinate with the district medical authorities and reaffirmed its commitment to maintain health and hygiene standards on campus.