Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das said the students must not curb the democratic rights of others
Protesting against the authorities' decision to defer the admission test process for six undergraduate courses in humanities, Jadavpur University students staged a demonstration before the Vice Chancellor's office, preventing him and other Executive Council members from leaving the premises on Tuesday evening.
The demonstration, that began in front of Aurobindo Bhavan, the administrative headquarters, on Monday night, was on till late Tuesday evening.
The immediate trigger for the protest was the Executive Council's decision to extend the date for submission of admission forms for the six courses by a week from June 26 to July 2 and put stop to the admission process in the interim, due to some legal issues.
West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee had on more than one occasion spoken against the JU holding admission tests for undergraduate courses in some subjects, while admitting students on the basis of plus two results in some courses.
Questioning the transparency of such tests, he said that the university could not follow two different set of rules for admission.
On Tuesday, Mr Chatterjee said the students should not spoil the environment of the university.
"There should be an environment fit for studies, which should not be polluted repeatedly, this is not just for Jadavpur University, it applies everywhere.
"There will always some who will spoil the environment, students can fail to understand but one needs to make them understand," he added.
Vice Chancellor Suranjan Das said the university EC would decide on the fate of the admission tests after receiving the legal board's opinion.
"Some legal questions arose in the meeting of the Executive Council regarding the admission tests, its pattern and whether it can be conducted or not. We sought the advice of the highest seat of Legal Board, once it arrives, the decision will be declared after holding a meeting of the executive council. Due to this legal issue we have stopped the examination," he said.
He also said that while exercising their democratic rights, the students must not curb the democratic rights of others.
"It is unfortunate that the students have gheraoed (besieged) us since yesterday. When I was leaving along with other faculties we were not allowed to leave," the VC said.
According to a protesting student, they want to know about the legal complications and why the authorities did not think of that any legal complication that could arise before coming up with the notification issued on June 9 about the admission tests.
"There was a notification stating that six departments will take admissions tests and the admission process will continue on the basis of marks obtained, we want this rule to be declared again," a student said.
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