On Thursday, the fourth day of their hunger protest, three more students of DD Medical College, Tiruvallur fainted on the campus of Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University.
The students — Muthu Ulagamai, Premnath and Illakya Das — fainted one after another as the fast progressed into the afternoon. They were rushed to Government Royapettah Hospital (GRH) for treatment.
Seven students, all women, had fainted during the fast on Wednesday, and another student had fainted at midnight. All eight are undergoing treatment at GRH.
The students have been on a hunger strike since Monday, demanding a meeting with the Chief Minister. Their sit-in protest on the campus of the medical university has now gone on for 45 days.
They have been demanding the government’s intervention to continue their medical education after the Medical Council of India de-recognised their college in 2011.
The students want the government to take over their college.
