Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha - firm on courses which had been introduced in the Darjeeling Government College

VIVEK CHHETRI/Darjeeling, Dec. 4: The Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha today said it would not allow the university to withdraw four courses which had been introduced in the Darjeeling Government College.

The college had admitted 200 students to the honours courses of biotechnology and computer science and 14 to sociology and anthropology subjects in the pass stream in the current academic session.

However, North Bengal University said the courses had been launched without the permission of the varsity and the state higher education department.

Bhupen Roka, a central committee member of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s student wing, sought to refute NBU’s claim.

“We have all documents which show that on November 8, 2009, then principal Dipak Ray had written to the director of public instruction, seeking permission to start these courses. On March 15, 2010, S. Ghosh, joint secretary of the higher education department, had written to the DPI and to the university to see whether these courses could be introduced in the college following which an inspection was done at the college,” he said.

The student leader said the inspection had “recommended” that the courses could be started and the executive council of the NBU was to grant its permission.

“But the EC meeting has never taken place. We will not allow these courses to be withdrawn,” said Sanjeev Dahal, the organising secretary of the Vidyarthi Morcha.

NBU sources said the EC meeting could not be held as the governor had asked all universities in the state to refrain from taking any major decision.

They said the final permission from the DPI hadn’t come either. 

TT