CU V-C stays back to protest against students' gherao over attendance issue

Kolkata: Calcutta University Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee who stayed in the Bengali department on Tuesday night and protested against the gherao of five teachers on Wednesday said the movement was 'uncalled for'.

Reacting sharply against the incident of students' gheroaing five Bengali teachers, she said students must learn to abide by the norms of the university. She reminded them that the university authorities will not allow any irregularity.

Around thirty students gheraoed five Bengali teachers from Tuesday evening to protest against their decision to bar them from sitting for the first and third semester exams starting February 27.

The students have been barred because they failed to secure a minimum of 55 percent attendance which is stated to be mandatory.

After leaving the campus, Chakravarti Banerjee returned to the university at around 8 pm on Tuesday and persuaded the protestors to let the teachers go.

As the students refused to leave the campus, she decided to stay back on Tuesday night. Pro V-C Minakshi Ray, who returned with Chakravarti Banerjee, also stayed back on the campus.

She added that the university does not approve students of skipping classes and then confine teachers in the name of protest. Last year, the same thing had happened.

According to the University rules, students have to secure 65 percent attendance in all subjects.

Students having 55-64 percent attendance can sit for the exams but only after paying a fine and submitting proper documents.

It may be mentioned that some of the protesting students, who only have 40 percent attendance, are demanding that the university must allow them to appear for the examinations.

It may be also mentioned that in June last year, at least 100 Calcutta University students were barred from sitting for the Bengali MA Part I and Part II exams because of low attendance.

The agitated students,

however, blamed the teachers as they claim that teachers often forget to mark their attendance.