Cow dung row: After principal's classroom experiment, DUSU president smears her office walls | WATCH
New Delhi: A controversy erupted at Delhi University’s Lakshmibai College after a video of college principal Pratyush Vatsala applying a cow dung mixture to classroom walls sparked outrage and ridicule. In a dramatic act of protest, Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president Ronak Khatri, along with a group of students, smeared cow dung on the walls of the principal’s office and washroom, calling out what they labelled as “absurd and unscientific practices” being encouraged on campus.
The uproar began after a video surfaced showing Principal Vatsala standing on a desk and applying a cow dung-based plaster to classroom walls, an act she later defended as part of a faculty-led research project aimed at studying heat stress and eco-friendly building practices. The classroom in question, she clarified, was an old structure used only when no other rooms were available. She stressed that the mixture used was not raw cow dung, but a prepared compound.
However, students and DUSU leaders weren't convinced.
"If students have to sit in classrooms with cow dung on the walls, the principal should too," said Ronak Khatri, who confronted the college vice-principal after finding the principal absent during his visit. The DUSU president accused the administration of violating UGC safety norms, citing concerns about the classroom’s single entry/exit point and lack of ventilation. He also questioned why such an experiment was carried out without consulting students, adding that the principal treats the college “like her personal lab.”
Khatri further alleged that Vatsala avoided meeting him, leaving the campus minutes before his arrival. “When she came to know I was coming, she left. So I made sure she gets the same treatment in her own space,” he said. Khatri also announced plans to file an FIR and move to the High Court, stating his legal team is ready to act against the alleged violations.
In response, Principal Vatsala said she was not present when the protest occurred and would discuss the matter with her staff before deciding the next steps. She maintained that the experiment was part of an academic study meant to explore environmentally friendly, local solutions to extreme heat.
Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh weighed in, stating that while traditional knowledge has scientific merit, such experiments should be conducted in a controlled environment, not in active classrooms. “Do it privately first, otherwise it becomes a laughing stock,” Singh said.
The incident has drawn criticism from several corners. NSUI national president Varun Choudhary slammed the principal, saying she should focus on academics, infrastructure, and student welfare, not “publicity stunts.”