Kolkata: After the students of Presidency University met the Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), it was decided that the Code of Conduct proposed by the authorities will not be implemented till the next General Body meeting where the students will be presenting their proposals to the authorities.
On June 27, a group of students met the Director along with the Dean of Students, the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Dean of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. A student said that the IQAC director proposed that the students may submit a draft of code of conduct since it was “necessary for NAAC grading.”
“The Dean of students gave a written statement in this matter in reply to a deputation by the students, that the proposed code of conduct will not be implemented till the next GB where the students will be presenting their proposal before the authorities,” a student said.
The proposed rules by the authorities also had a provision for disciplinary committees. After the students protested against the “arbitrary” nature with which the committee was formulated, this too was rolled back by the authorities.
“After the deputation was submitted, the Dean gave in writing that the existing DCs will be dissolved, and no further DCs will be convened in future,” a student said.
This Code of Conduct drafted by the authorities had two sections–one for employees and another for students. Picking a few points from the proposed rules for students which stated that violation of them would lead to disciplinary action, the students had been protesting ever since the document had surfaced last week. It stated that any meetings or rallies conducted will need the prior approval of the authorities and prohibited students from furnishing any audio or video to the media without the authority’s approval.
Calling these clauses “undemocratic” the students started protesting in different ways which included painting the walls outside the Dean of Students office and sticking a parallel code of conduct for the authorities on the walls outside canteens and other social places.
Tension in the varsity had started way back when authorities had called the parents of two students who were allegedly found in an intimate position on the campus. This incident caused uproar amongst student bodies who stated this was “unnecessary”.
Questions were also raised on the CCTV cameras installed across the campus for security purposes being used for creating surveillance over the students.
Later on, the authorities allegedly told the students that it will not be used for purposes apart from security reasons.