Presidency varsity students call off hunger strike

Kolkata, Nov 25 (IANS) A section of Presidency University students, who were on a hunger strike for nearly 48 hours to protest the varsity’s decision to withhold students from appearing in examinations due to low attendance, Monday withdrew their agitation following the vice chancellor’s promise to conduct provisional exams.

As many as 20 students participated in a hunger strike since Saturday evening to protest the varsity’s sudden move to prohibit 180 students from appearing in the semester-end examinations due to their failure to fulfill the required attendance percentage as per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.

The university is following the UGC guidelines which say 75 percent attendance is essential for taking an examination.

Initially, the varsity debarred as many as 1,238 students of the undergraduate and postgraduate degree streams from writing their examinations in compliance of the UGC rule.

Later, Vice Chancellor Anuradha Lohia relaxed the attendance percentage to 50 percent which resulted in the disqualification of 180 students from the exams.

Students laid siege at Lohia’s office Friday to convince her to accept their demands of rescinding the norm.

Following a series of discussions Monday, Lohia assured the students of conducting special supplementary examinations as a substitute for the missed papers, said Amardip Singh, vice president of the student council.

A deputation of demands was submitted to the dean of students Monday.