Univ of Burdwan: Logjam over admission of Maoist inmate Arnab Dam in PhD resolved
Kolkata: The logjam over the admission of Maoist inmate Arnab Dam in the PhD programme in History at the University of Burdwan has been resolved with the varsity authorities issuing a notice that counselling for the same will be held on Monday. Classes for the PhD programme 2023 in History under Faculty Council (Arts) will commence from July 18.
If everything goes as per plan, Dam will be attending the counselling on Monday and on verification of documents, will get admission to PhD programme.
“We have shifted Arnab Dam from Hooghly District Correctional Home (HDCH) to Burdwan District Correctional Home so that it becomes easier to provide security cover to him while he attends his PhD classes in the university,” said Akhil Giri, minister in-charge of the Correctional Services department.
The University of Burdwan had postponed its merit based counselling for admission to the PhD programme in History citing ‘unavoidable circumstances’ last Tuesday following which the university authorities had sought some information regarding Dam from the Superintendent of HDCH. The matter was forwarded to the state Correctional Administration department which on Friday wrote back to the varsity that they have no objection to his pursuance of PhD and adequate security cover will be provided while Dam attends his PhD classes. The university has a six-month course during PhD which is done in
offline mode. Dam is presently serving a life sentence at HDCH and had secured the first rank in the interview process for PhD conducted at the university last month.
Dam was arrested in connection with Maoist attack at the Silda camp of the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) in the year 2012 from Balarampur in Purulia and has been lodged in prison since then. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2023.
Dam has done his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) from the correctional home and has secured first division in both.
