Jadavpur University has witnessed prolonged protest and hunger strike by the Arts Faculty Students Union
Kolkata: The Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) today withdrew its sit-in protest outside Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor (VC) Suranjan Das's chamber after the dean of Arts said he was quitting from the admission process, an AFSU leader said.
The AFSU lifted the nine-hour-long demonstration at 5 am following which the VC, pro-VC Pradip Ghosh and other senior varsity officials left for home, a teacher of Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) said.
The students were protesting against the university's decision to put the history admission process on hold following the demand for review of history entrance test answer scripts of all applicants, as raised by a section of guardians.
They were also demanding the resignation of the dean of Arts, Subhasis Biswas, who is also the head of the history department.
The varsity had witnessed prolonged gherao and hunger strike by the AFSU in July demanding reintroduction of the admission system to six humanities streams.
An AFSU member said the varsity should not put on hold the counselling for history admissions, scheduled for today and tomorrow, as it would further delay the already delayed new classes slated to begin on August 13.
Guardians of 110 candidates had asked for re-evaluation of the answer scripts after their wards allegedly scored less than 10 in history despite scoring high marks in 12th grade board exams.
However, 106 students scored higher marks in the admission test which was on par with their board exam marks, a university official said.
The varsity will now take a decision whether there will be a fresh merit list and counselling for those who had challenged the provisional merit list, the official said.
The vice-chancellor said aggrieved parents of any applicant, who had appeared for the admission test in six humanities stream subjects, including history, can communicate with the varsity by the second week of August following which the papers of their wards can be re-tabulated.