IIM Amritsar students sleep in college mess to protest for AC in dorms. Video goes viral

Students at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Amritsar have staged an innovative protest to demand better cooling facilities in their dormitories. Frustrated by the extreme heat and lack of air conditioning, the students took to camping out in the air-conditioned college canteen and library. Their demonstration quickly went viral on social media highlighting their dissatisfaction with the current accommodations.

The protest location was deliberately chosen, as the hostel mess is one of the few air-conditioned spaces available to the students, highlighting the stark contrast between the cooling provided in communal areas and the sweltering conditions in their rooms. The protest comes amid an intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring to around 45 degrees Celsius in Amritsar.

The now-viral video of the protest showed students sleeping on the chairs of the canteen with one of them even lying down on the table. The purpose of the protest was to raise awareness about the need for adequate cooling facilities in the dorms, especially in light of the ongoing heatwave.

The protest sparked a broader discussion on the quality of student accommodations and the need for adequate infrastructure to ensure comfortable living conditions.

Commenting on the situation, a former IIM Amritsar student mentioned that they had faced a similar issue during their time at the institute and had raised concerns about it in the past. "It is the mess area. Having just passed out from IIM Amritsar, I can say that the heat is unbearable at times. This demand was put forward last year too but not much was achieved. Temperature is around 45 but feels like 50. Plus one of the temporary hostels are such that you will feel better outside," Aditya Vikram wrote.