North Bengal University student called an indefinite strike - defers results

Siliguri, Nov. 4: The process to publish the results of Part I and Part II BSc and BCom exams was halted today as North Bengal University was shut down by the Chhatra Parishad, which had called an indefinite strike on the campus before withdrawing it late in the afternoon.

The results were supposed to be announced tomorrow and the mark sheets had arrived from Calcutta after being processed.

“But the segregation into bundles for different colleges could not be done today. We were also supposed to calculate the pass percentage, the percentage of unsuccessful candidates and comparative figures of how students had fared in relation to the past years. A meeting of the examination review committee was to be held tomorrow morning before declaring the results in the afternoon. But the process has been halted because of the strike,” said NBU controller of examination Sushanta Das.

The Congress’s student outfit called the strike to demand immediate polls to the varsity students’ union, which have been pending since March. Their other demands included two ambulances for students, a permanent doctor at the university health centre and extension of library hours (from 8am to 8pm). The library now remains open from 11am to 5pm.

This year, nearly 12,000 students from 63 colleges had appeared in the two streams for the Part I and Part II (honours and pass course) examinations.

“It is a mammoth task to segregate the results of 63 colleges and calculate the numbers in relation to the 12,000 candidates. We are already running late by one month 23 days because of the Assembly elections. The students should understand these problems and allow the varsity to function,” the controller said.

The results are expected to be announced next week.

Colleges under the varsity have been demanding immediate publication of the UG results as the delay has hampered their academic session in terms of conducting unit tests that are usually held in December.

Later in the day, the Chhatra Parishad agreed to lift the strike after vice-chancellor Arunabha Basumajumdar promised to fulfil all their demands within a month except the one related to the election.

“The authorities dissolved the union in March but they have not taken any initiative to conduct fresh elections to the students’ body for six months, pointing to the orders of the governor. But the VC has promised that he will fulfil our other demands and so, we agreed to lift the strike,” said Ronald Dey, the CP’s unit president at NBU.

During the day, students, faculty members, non-teaching staff and officials arrived at the varsity, but only to find the departments and offices shut. Most of them went back after waiting for an hour or two. The CP supporters had put a lock on the watch-and-ward room that has keys of all the departments.

Eighteen distance education classes for six subjects for a batch of 200 students were also hampered today. Many students had come from different districts to collect migration certificates from the registrar’s office but they had to go back.

“I have been admitted to BEd course and came to collect my migration certificate from the registrar’s office which I have to submit to my college. But I will have to come again when the strike is lifted,” a girl from Balurghat said.

The varsity authorities said elections to the student union could not be held because of the governor’s order.

“We have explained to the students innumerable times that the notice from the governor specifically mentions that elections to any body at the institution cannot be held for sometime. As for their other demands, we shall certainly try to fulfil them as soon as possible,” an official said.